Greater Manchester Resists Palantir's NHS Data Platform

The UK government is considering whether to terminate a contract worth more than $400 million between the National Health Service (NHS) and American software company Palantir by next February, according to reporting from Wired.

At the center of the debate is Palantir's "federated data platform" (FDP), designed to organize fragmented health data to improve hospital stay lengths, wait times, and operating theatre use. While the Department of Health and Social Care tells Wired that thousands of patients benefit monthly from the FDP—with 139 of approximately 200 trusts and 35 of 36 integrated care boards (ICBs) currently using the system—Greater Manchester has categorically refused to adopt it.

Greater Manchester ICB, which serves roughly 3 million people, instead utilizes its own Analytics and Data Science Platform (ADSP). Matt Hennessey, chief data and analytics officer at NHS Greater Manchester, told Wired that adopting the FDP would be a "retrograde step," asserting that the local platform is functionally superior and more trusted by the public. In a May 2025 meeting, the board concluded that its local capabilities exceed the FDP's current offerings, with some functions being two to three years ahead.

Supporters of the FDP, including former NHS England deputy director of data engineering Tom Bartlett, argue the system's value lies in its ability to "lift and shift" tools across the country and provide a foundation for artificial intelligence. Conversely, Hennessey notes the ADSP incorporates primary care data unavailable on Palantir's platform and allows for easier reconfiguration of individual technologies.

While Palantir claims trusts in Greater Manchester use the FDP extensively, Andy Haywood, chief digital and data officer at Health Innovation Manchester, told Wired that the region is not "going all in" and is using the system for limited purposes.