A demonstration two weeks ago highlighted concerns about the adoption of Palantir as holder and curator of patient data for the NHS. It preceded the meeting of the Health Scrutiny Committee, to which not one senior member of any NHS trust came to hear those nor to answer those concerns.
At today’s Health and Social Care committee, Palestine liberation activists came to re-express those concerns and to urge the chair of the committee to write to the Trusts and Integrated Data Boards.
The council also heard a statement from Peter Jones
The Health Scrutiny Committee recently debated the adoption of Palantir’s Federated Data Platform by Sheffield Trusts and Integrated Care Boards. Councillors expressed serious reservations about Palantir, echoing public statements and questions received. Not one representative of Trusts or ICBs attended the meeting – a failure of respect on their part. The issue of Joint Commissioning is a first test of the Council’s new Ethical Procurement Policy. Palantir is complicit in the economy of Israel’s genocide. Its systems have been knowingly used to generate targets in Gaza and enable Israel to commit war crimes. The company’s contract with Israel specifies its “war-related” focus. Palantir’s boast is: “We stand with Israel”, i.e. the company supports a regime committing war crimes which the ICJ, ICC, UN Commission of Enquiry and numerous human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have documented. Anonymity of patient data under Palantir is actually reversible – lack of patient confidence can lead to refusal to allow data to be used. In the US Palantir has been used by Trump’s ICE to target vulnerable asylum communities. What fate awaits our elderly and vulnerable residents? You must apply the Ethical Procurement Policy rigorously, NOT entering joint commissioning activities with Trusts and ICBs unless Palantir’s exclusion is guaranteed.
The response from the committee was overwhelming positive and we were told a robust letter would be sent to the NHS Trusts expressing concerns about Palantir
