A cross-party group of MPs has told the government to start planning for life after Palantir, arguing the NHS should use a 2027 break clause in its Federated Data Platform (FDP) contract to find a replacement rather than doubling down on one of Whitehall's most contentious tech deals.

In a letter to Health Innovation Minister Preet Kaur Gill, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee said the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) should begin preparing to replace the FDP when the contract reaches its break clause in February 2027. Rather than waiting until the deadline looms, MPs want ministers to begin assessing alternatives now so a replacement could be in place by March 2027 if they decide not to continue with Palantir.

MPs reached that conclusion after grilling ministers and NHS England officials last month over the platform's supposed benefits. Since then, NHS England has quietly rewritten its website, dropping claims that the FDP was responsible for cutting waiting lists and boosting the number of procedures. It now says it "cannot therefore draw conclusions about cause and effect as other variables have not been controlled for."

The committee said there remains "serious mistrust" of Palantir among the public, warning that the company's involvement with NHS data could discourage patients from allowing their information to be used. MPs argued that loss of confidence could undermine the NHS's wider push to make better use of patient data across the health service.

The committee also seized on the government's admission that some NHS trusts already have capabilities beyond those offered by the FDP. If that's the case, MPs argue, there's no reason Palantir should be treated as the only option for the rest of the health service.

MPs are now asking the DHSC to set out what assessment it will carry out before deciding whether to exercise the break clause, as well as what advice it has received on replacing the platform by March 2027.

Health and Social Care Committee chair Layla Moran said: "Little by little, the government's arguments for sticking with the FDP has [sic] unravelled. So in the interest of public confidence in the NHS and the security of their medical information, we believe it is time to crack on with preparations to find an alternative in time for spring 2027."

"The FDP may have had some advantages, but there are also downsides and it is evidently not the only show in town," she added.

The recommendation adds to the pressure on ministers over the future of Palantir's NHS deal. Another Commons committee has already urged the government to use the 2027 break clause, while campaigners and privacy advocates have spent months questioning everything from procurement and transparency to whether the platform's claimed benefits can be backed by evidence. 

The DHSC did not respond to The Register’s questions, and whether it’s ready to start shopping for a Palantir successor remains unclear. ®