NHS Grants Palantir and Contractors Broad Access to Patient Data Platform
Overview of NHS Data Access Changes
Background and Report Details
May 11 (Reuters) - Britain's state-run National Health Service (NHS) is granting staff from companies including Palantir 'unlimited access' to identifiable patient data while working on its flagship data platform, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing an internal briefing note.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Palantir and NHS did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.
National Data Integration Tenant (NDIT)
The change concerns the National Data Integration Tenant (NDIT), described as a "safe haven for data" before it is "pseudonymised" and shared with other systems, the report said.
Admin Role and Access Permissions
NHS England has agreed to create an "admin" role granting non-staff "unlimited access" to the NDIT and identifiable patient data, the FT added.
Federated Data Platform and Palantir's Involvement
The NDIT is housed under the Federated Data Platform, which links disparate NHS datasets into a single system. Palantir won a 330 million pound ($448.4 million) contract to develop the platform in 2023.
Palantir's Broader UK Contracts
Florida-based data analytics firm Palantir has also secured contracts with Britain’s Ministry of Defence and Financial Conduct Authority, deals that have drawn scrutiny due to its work with U.S. government defense agencies.
Public Concerns and Recommendations
"This is not only about Palantir, hence we have referred to non-NHSE staff, but there is currently considerable public interest and concern about how much access to patient data Palantir/Palantir staff have," the briefing note viewed by the FT said.
Suggested Access Limitations
It also recommends capping external admin access to the NDIT and making such permissions time-limited and subject to regular review, the report added.
Additional Information
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(Reporting by Ananya Palyekar in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)