Campaigners protest at Labour conference to block Palantir NHS data contract extension

# What happened Campaigners coordinated protests at the Labour Party conference and in London to urge ministers not to extend the NHS contract run by US firm Palantir. The demonstrations were organised by health justice charity MedAct and the medical campaign group Just Treatment. They are pressing the government to refuse an extension of the Federated Data Platform (FDP) contract, which could be worth up to £330 million across seven years.

# Why campaigners are pressing the issue Campaign groups argue the FDP raises patient‑trust and data‑security concerns and that the platform's performance has not been backed by sufficient evidence. The Chief Data and Analytics Officers Network told ministers to "consider the break clause," saying the FDP "has been unable to demonstrate the level of evidence, confidence and realised value" expected after sustained investment.

Organisations opposing the platform include the British Medical Association (BMA), public sector union UNISON and the United Tech and Allied Workers Union. The BMA urged members to think twice before using the FDP for anything other than direct care, citing risks to patient trust and data security.

# Contract and procurement timeline Palantir won the lead role on the FDP contract in November 2023 after a procurement process that NHS England says was "open and fair." Campaigners note that during the COVID period the NHS awarded about £60 million in contracts without competition — a point raised in debates about procurement practices.

The FDP contract's initial term ends early next year. The government can extend it for two years and then apply two further one‑year extensions. Campaigners highlighted a contractual deadline of September 30 for Palantir to provide NHS England with an exit plan should ministers choose not to continue.

# Political context and recent hires The cross‑party Science, Innovation and Technology Committee recommended in June that Palantir should not have such a prominent role in the UK public sector and advised either building an in‑house replacement or using a UK provider.

Palantir recently hired former Labour deputy Tom Watson for a senior UK role. The appointment was noted amid the ongoing debate about the contract and as campaigners escalated their public pressure.

# Numbers and public response Campaigners say more than 85,000 patients filed formal complaints to hospitals about the FDP. Related reporting shows that over 44,000 people have filed legal objections under data‑protection rules against the FDP handling their personal health data.

# England say NHS England and Palantir maintain that the FDP links disparate data systems to help hospitals manage resources — for example, using beds and operating theatres more efficiently and supporting efforts to tackle care backlogs. Palantir says the data processed through the FDP belongs to the NHS and that disclosing it externally would breach the contract.

# Campaigner statements Dr Rhiannon Mihranian Osborne of MedAct said patients and staff oppose the contract and called on the government to prioritise them over large technology firms. Just Treatment's Hope Worsdale argued that Palantir's history in surveillance and military applications makes the company unsuitable to handle personal health data.

# Immediate choices for ministers Ministers face three concrete options: allow the contract to run out, negotiate an extension, or invoke the contractual break clause and require an exit plan. Advocates for a break point to develop a UK or in‑house alternative point to perceived evidence shortfalls and public objections as reasons to press pause.

# Bottom line The dispute centers on whether the FDP delivers verifiable value that outweighs patient‑data risks and political concerns. With formal objections accumulating and a contract break point approaching, the government must decide whether to extend, replace, or end Palantir's role in the platform.