Newly obtained emails from 2020 found by openDemocracy show senior NHS England executives discussed budgeting for a new national data platform, with multiple individuals referring to Palantir as the intended beneficiary of the cash.
According to Computing Palantir secured a £23.5 million contract on 11 December 2020, to manage a comprehensive NHS patient data "datastore," expanding on its prior pandemic-related interventions.
However, as early as 5th October 2020, an NHS official messaged Ming Tang, the health service's chief data and analytics officer, with the subject line "Update finances for data platform project," indicating earlier discussions about the project's financial aspects.
The email contained a comprehensive outline of how NHS England could fund the project.
It seemingly identifies Palantir as the intended funding recipient, noting, "This [the budget proposal] provides a total of £26 million for Palantir higher than our previous ask of £24 million."
Three hours later, Tang provided a response, expressing an aim to limit Palantir's yearly allocation to £10-12 million. She requested the undisclosed individual to compile details regarding the "costs vs funding" of this budget approach.
Tang also mentioned her intention not to "send him" the proposed budget but instead "share screen".
The person being discussed is consistently anonymised in the available documents, and their role and organisational affiliation remain unclear.
After six weeks from Tang's communication about limiting Palantir's funding to £10-12 million annually, she had a meeting with Dame Fiona Caldicott, the government's advocate for patient privacy at the time.
Caldicott was then investigating the NHS's association with Palantir.
Critics argue that the documents reviewed by openDemocracy provide additional evidence of NHS executives favouring Peter Thiel’s Palantir, disregarding its contentious associations with Donald Trump and the CIA.
Conservative MP David Davis expressed deep concern to openDemocracy, highlighting the troubling aspect that the NHS seems to have made contract decisions in favour of Palantir even before the procurement process's conclusion.
"Allowing a company with Palantir's provenance into the NHS needs careful scrutiny. It must not be railroaded through in secrecy," he said.