Doctors who oppose the use of software developed by Palantir in the NHS have “chosen ideology over patient interest”, the UK boss of the tech giant has told MPs.
Louis Mosley appeared in front of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee on Tuesday as part of its innovation showcase.
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.”
