Patients fear NHS deal with spy-tech firm would put data at risk, says BMA

Patients fear their personal information may be misused by the NHS's new data store, especially if the US spy technology firm Palantir runs it, doctors' leaders have told ministers.

- Denis Campbell

The planned creation of the "federated data platform" (FDP) has prompted concerns about privacy and trust in the NHS and fears that suspicion about it will lead patients to refuse to share their data.

The FDP will bring together huge amounts of patient data now held separately by NHS trusts and integrated care systems in an attempt to improve officials' decision-making. It will not involve data held by GPS.

NHS England has completed the process of deciding which of several tech firms that made a bid will be handed the £480m contract and is preparing to announce the winner shortly. It is widely expected to award it to Palantir, a controversial data analytics company with close ties to the CIA and Pentagon, despite Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians voicing unease about the firm's suitability.

Now the British Medical Association (BMA) has written to Steve Barclay, the health secretary, setting out a range of "serious concerns" about the FDP, including that an alleged lack of public consultation or vetting of bidders on ethical grounds may encourage patients to shun it.