Doctors against Palantir's NHS software put ‘ideology over patient interest'
While there, he also challenged claims that Palantir has a 'reputational difficulty' and said it is 'very proud' of the work it does in Israel.
Palantir was co-founded by billionaire tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, who was an early backer of US President Donald Trump, and has worked with the US government.
It was announced in November 2023 that a group led by Palantir had secured a £330 million contract to provide the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP).
The shared software system will aim to make it easier for health and care organisations to work together and provide better services to patients, but Palantir's involvement sparked concerns about how patient data will be used.
When asked by MPs about how the company protects patient privacy, and if data would be processed outside of the UK, or be accessible by any foreign government, Mr Mosley said: 'The critical thing to bear in mind about the way our software works and the way it's deployed in the NHS, is that the data controllers – so those organisations that have that legal responsibility, in the NHS those are trusts, typically – they maintain control over their data.
'So each of them gets their own instance of our software, and they control who has access to it, they control what data is integrated into it, and they, in effect, implement and enforce the data protection policies that they deem appropriate.'
He also emphasised Palantir does not 'derive any economic benefit from the data, the data belongs to the customer'.
Mr Mosley claimed that medics who oppose Palantir's involvement in the FDP as choosing 'ideology over patient interest'.
It comes after the British Medical Association (BMA) passed a motion stating the company is an 'unacceptable choice' for the FDP at its annual representative meeting in Liverpool last month.
The union's members voted in favour of the BMA lobbying against the introduction of Palantir software in the health service, and called for the Department of Health and Social Care to create an audit of the progress of the uptake of the systems throughout the NHS.
When asked about this, Mr Mosley said: 'I was very disappointed to see that. I think the accusation that we lack transparency or this is secretive is wrong.
'I think the BMA has, if I may be frank, chosen ideology over patient interest.
'I think our software is going to make patient lives better; so making their treatment quicker, more effective, and ultimately the healthcare system more efficient.
'And I, as a patient, and a user of the NHS, I want it to be as quick and efficient as possible.
'I'm very sad, frankly, that the ideology seems to have taken precedence over those interests.'
The BMA vote comes a little over a year since health workers blockaded the entrance to NHS England's headquarters to call for an end to Palantir's contract.
In April 2024, hundreds of NHS workers protested in central London, holding placards which read 'No Palantir in the NHS' and 'Palantir aids apartheid'.
Mr Mosley also pushed back against claims about Palantir's reputation.
It was put to Mr Mosley that Palantir has a 'reputational difficulty' by Conservative MP Kit Malthouse.
'Everybody's slightly suspicious of what you do,' he said. 'And part of that reputational difficulty has been caused by your software being used in war on Gaza and the targeting of Palestinians with particular characteristics.
'What protections would you put in place for UK programmes to make sure they're not complicit in the commission of war crimes?'
Mr Mosley said he would 'push back' on the question around reputation, adding: 'I think much of that concern and suspicion that you mentioned is the result of misunderstandings about the nature of our software, the nature of our business model and the kind of work we support.
'I would emphasise the fact that we have never worked and will never work in countries that are adversarial to the west, like China or Russia or Iran.
'We do work in Israel. We're proud of the work that we do there. We have provided the Israelis with support since October 7, but also our work there predates those events.
'I can't go into operational details of the way in which our software is used, but I can assure you that I think the systems to which you might be alluding, like Lavender, for example, are not ones that we are involved in.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times
44 minutes ago
- Times
BMA in new row as thousands of junior doctors cannot get NHS jobs
Thousands of resident doctors cannot get jobs in the NHS, prompting the British Medical Association to open a formal dispute with the government over 'training bottlenecks'. Half of all doctors who have completed their first two years of training have said they have not been able to secure a job from August 6 this year, when the new roles begin. After graduating from medical school, resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, complete two years of foundation training, known as FY1 and FY2, involving placements in different medical specialisms. They then must apply for training posts either as GPs or to become consultants in a specialism, such as psychiatry or oncology. However, there are not enough training posts, meaning about half of the 8,000 FY2 doctors completing their training this week have not got a job waiting for them, prompting many to consider moving abroad. This year, more than 30,000 doctors applied for only 10,000 specialist training places. Some of the applicants are international medical graduates, and some are from a backlog of applicants from previous years. The British Medical Association is starting a formal dispute with the government over the lack of training places. Resident doctors are finishing their five-day strike at 7am on Wednesday as part of a separate dispute to receive a 29 per cent pay rise. Wes Streeting, the health secretary, recently promised to create 1,000 new specialist training posts over the next three years, but the BMA said this was insufficient as the situation was at crisis point. The BMA surveyed 1,053 FY2 doctors last week, asking if they had 'planned substantive employment or regular locum work from August 2025'. Of these, 52 per cent replied no. In total, 4,401 resident doctors were surveyed, and 34 per cent did not have a job lined up. Dr Ross Nieuwoudt and Dr Melissa Ryan, who both head the BMA junior doctors' committee, said many doctors have 'genuine fear and real worry about being able to secure a job in the future'. They added: 'It's absurd that in a country where the government says bringing down NHS waiting lists is one of its top priorities, not only is it not prepared to restore doctors' pay, but it also won't provide jobs for doctors ready, willing and capable to progress in their careers. 'With more than six million patients on waiting lists in England, it's maddening that a third of [junior] doctors say they cannot get a job. Across the NHS, this means potentially thousands of UK doctors are left in employment limbo when patients desperately need their care. 'Commitments from the government to address this don't go far enough or are too vague to convince us that they understand the gravity of the situation, so we're making clear that, alongside pay, we are entering a dispute and demanding action so that no UK-trained, capable doctor is left underemployed in the NHS.' Meanwhile, during the strikes, there is an escalating row over patient safety between NHS bosses who have accused the BMA of risking patients by refusing to provide emergency cover, and the BMA, which said the NHS itself is to blame for not planning adequately for the strikes and securing cover. Sir Jim Mackey, the chief executive of the NHS, has accused the BMA of demanding 'extortionate pay rates' to provide emergency cover during the strike. In a letter to NHS staff, Mackey said: 'We have learned from the last few rounds of industrial action that harm was being caused to patients by the BMA insisting on just prioritising urgent and emergency care. We have all worked hard to avoid that this time, and while there is still some distance to go, the early indications suggest that the planning has worked. 'That is not to say that services haven't come under real pressure. We have worked with you to overhaul the process for patient safety mitigations, and that has yielded results as well, with nine approved as of Sunday night. Unfortunately, despite all requests being made and verified by senior medics, 18 have been rejected by the BMA, with half of those rejections saying the BMA would support only if extortionate pay rates were offered to striking doctors.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
NHS trusts budget nearly £2million for 'woke' staff events including 'International Pronouns Day' and talks on 'embracing your Afro hair' and 'breaking the rainbow ceiling'
The NHS has allowed trusts to spend almost £2million on 'staff networks' which have hosted a series of ' woke ' events over the past two years, the Mail can reveal. New figures show the health service budgeted more than £1.8million for the internal staff groupings, which are usually linked to race, sexuality, gender, disability or religion. More than 154 NHS Trusts responded to Freedom of Information requests from the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) revealing how the networks have hosted hundreds of events between 2022 and 2024. They included a Eurovision Viewing Party at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, and an event on 'Embracing Asexuality' at the The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust in Essex. NHS staff also attended a talk on 'Embracing your Afro/Curly hair' at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and another on 'International Pronouns Day' at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. A talk on 'Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling' was held at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Trust, while King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust hosted an event on 'pride crafting'. The NHS said many of the events are run at 'no or very low cost', but the TPA said it was 'astonishing' to see staff spending their time at such events instead of focusing on frontline care. It comes after thousands of junior doctors carried out a five-day walkout, after talks between the Government and British Medical Association (BMA) soured over a dispute about pay. The BMA is demanding a 29.2per cent pay rise. More than 1,000 events were held by staff networks between 2022 and 2024, the FOI revealed, at 80 trusts. In total, £1,834,005.6 was provided to the networks in funding, but it is not clear how much was actually spent over the period. Joanna Marchong, investigations campaign manager of the TPA, said: 'Taxpayers will be dismayed to see NHS trusts pouring more money into staff networks year after year, while waiting lists spiral and junior doctors strike over pay. 'With patients on waiting lists, it's astonishing to see staff spending their working hours at Eurovision parties, open mic nights and summer picnics. 'There is a time and a place for staff engagement and with resident doctors walking out and the NHS haemorrhaging money, now isn't the time. Ministers must get a grip and put patients before perks.' Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice told the Mail: 'Herein lies the problem with our NHS: wasteful spending on pointless woke activities and a bloated middle management, meanwhile frontline services are left underfunded and struggling. 'Reform UK would cut waste and unnecessary management, as well as purposeless DEI initiatives, and pump every penny straight into frontline care where it belongs.' Tory shadow health secretary Stuart Andrew said the figures were 'alarming', adding: 'The first priority of the NHS should be to deliver the best possible outcomes for patients, and taxpayer's cash should be spent on improving that - not splashing hundreds of thousands of pounds on sideshows and distractions. 'The Conservatives - under Kemi Badenoch's leadership - are the only party that are serious about delivering the reform the NHS needs, from our common sense proposals to ban doctors from striking, to pushing for improvements in productivity and innovation.' [must keep] An NHS spokesman said: 'Staff networks can play an important role in retaining staff and reducing absenteeism, improving care and savings costs. 'Many staff events – including ones highlighted here – are run at no or very low cost, but where employers do invest in staff it is important that care is taken to ensure it represents good value for taxpayers' money.' NHS England describes staff networks as 'an important mechanism' to 'help us to shape our organisational culture to create a fairer and inclusive work environments for all'. Many NHS trusts have staff networks representing those who are BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic), LGBT+, women, or who have a particular religion or belief.
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
Edinburgh residents take note: Why it's not just sunglasses that could save your sight this summer
Edinburgh residents are being encouraged to care for their eyes this summer We all know the drill when the sun finally shines in Edinburgh, out come the BBQs, flip-flops, and, of course, the sunnies. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... But as the UK swelters through a scorching summer, experts are warning that protecting your eyes goes beyond simply slipping on a pair of stylish shades. Eye health is often overlooked in the warmer months, yet the sun's UV rays can cause serious damage to our vision, from dry eyes and irritation, to longer-term risks such as cataracts and macular degeneration. The NHS advises wearing UV-protective sunglasses, but as the mercury rises, eye care experts say we should be thinking even more holistically. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Jason Layton, founder of UK family-run wellness brand Nature's Zest, and natural health expert, said: 'The eyes are one of the most vulnerable parts of the body when it comes to sun exposure. Most people are aware that skin burns, but they forget that UV can damage the retina too. That's why we created Macu XL, to help protect people's long-term vision from the inside out.' Macu XL is a powerful eye supplement containing lutein, zeaxanthin and antioxidants, which help defend the eyes from oxidative stress and high-energy UV exposure, common during long days spent outdoors. But it's not the only step you can take to keep your eyes happy and healthy this summer. FIVE SUMMER EYE HAZARDS, AND HOW TO HANDLE THEM 1. UV Rays Even on cloudy days, UV rays penetrate through the clouds — and they don't just age your skin. Prolonged exposure can damage the cornea and retina, potentially increasing the risk of vision loss over time. Top tip: Always wear sunglasses with UV400 protection, even when it's overcast. Consider supplements like Macu XL to bolster your body's natural defences. 2. Chlorine & Salt Water Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pools and sea swims are a summer staple — but they can leave eyes sore, red, and irritated. Chlorine strips the natural tear film, while salt can cause dryness and stinging. Top tip: Rinse eyes with clean water after swimming, and wear swim goggles to reduce exposure. Hydrating eye drops can help restore moisture levels. 3. Airborne Allergens Pollen counts soar in the summer, and for hayfever sufferers, that often means itchy, watery, puffy eyes. Top tip: Shower and change clothes after being outside, and consider antihistamine eye drops. A cold compress over closed eyes can also soothe irritation. 4. Dry Eye Syndrome Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Air conditioning, fans, and long drives with open windows can dry out the surface of the eyes, causing a gritty, tired feeling. Top tip: Blink often when driving or looking at screens, and use preservative-free lubricating drops if symptoms persist. Stay well-hydrated throughout the day. 5. Sand and Grit Beach days are fun until wind-blown sand gets in your eye. Rubbing can make things worse and even scratch the cornea. Top tip: Wear wraparound sunglasses to shield eyes from blowing particles. If something gets in your eye, flush it with saline or clean water, never rub. To find out more go to
