The Guardian reports that an NHS project to incorporate tens of millions of personal digital medical records into one of the biggest health data platforms in the world is to be launched without seeking new patient consent. Health officials confirmed this weekend the proposed £360m new data platform for England will incorporate the NHS shared care records that track patients across the health and care system.
The American software firm Palantir, which is chaired by the billionaire Donald Trump supporter Peter Thiel, is considered the favourite to win the contract. The firm has hired two senior officials from the NHS and has been advised by Global Counsel, the consultancy firm set up by the former Labour cabinet minister Lord Mandelson.
Ministers have disclosed in parliamentary answers that the patient information project does not require a public consultation before the five-year contract is tendered or additional patient consent. They say the project, called a federated data platform, will help improve care and provide new insights into the nation’s health.
Full story in The Guardian, 13 November 2022
