NHSE project to put FDP into primary care

NHS England is exploring how to push the federated data platform into primary and community care.

A document seen by HSJ reveals the FDP, of which controversial US firm Palantir is the main contractor, was last month being scoped for use in integrated neighbourhood teams.

Shifting care to the community is one of the government’s priorities for the health service.

It said the “minimum viable product capabilities that address user challenges and are technically feasible to build” were:

• A triage patient list to prioritise patient by urgency, complexity or eligibility for interventions
• Tracking and coordinating tool to “assign and track actions with explicit ownership and escalation routes, supported by targeted alerts”
• Tool to monitor patient outcomes. This would “compare patient progress to baseline and intervention goals and iterate model of care”

The British Medical Association last year called for the NHS to move to a publicly owned alternative to Palantir.

Asked about the move to involve the FDP in neighbourhood health, a BMA spokesman said: “It is essential that patients can trust that their data is safe and being used responsibly by institutions across the NHS.

“To have that trust, patients need confidence not only in the technical safeguards but also in the regulations governing these organisations. If that trust is eroded, there is a real risk that patients who fear their personal health information may be misused could delay seeking care, withhold important information from clinicians, or avoid engaging with vital services altogether."

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Source: HSJ, 27 May 2026