Thread by @docrussjackson

#THREAD

#NHS data specialists have warned against the rollout of libertarian billionaire Peter Thiel's #Palantir’s software across the organisation, as the US tech company vies for a £480mn contract to build the UK health service’s operating system.

ft.com/content/2574c4…

Palantir, led by chief executive Alex Karp and co-founded by Peter Thiel, the unhinged libertarian tech investor and prominent backer of Donald Trump, became the #NHS’s go-to data analytics provider during the pandemic.

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1475127556152205313?s=20

Several data specialists familiar with its software, including three at the #NHS, told the FT they were concerned that #Palantir had become the frontrunner to win the British health service’s lucrative “federated data platform” contract due to be awarded later this year.

These people argued Palantir's software Foundry was not “user friendly”, came at an exorbitant cost & had a design that made it difficult for the #NHS to switch to a different provider in the future.

“Senior leadership love it because it produces nice, shiny dashboards but as an analyst, it doesn’t allow you to do the kind of data manipulation that is the building blocks of your analytical skills,” said one #NHS analyst who had used the tech.

Another specialist said the prospect of paying #Palantir up to £480mn for seven years has “almost an element of ridiculousness to it”.

Managers had pushed for broader use of Palantir’s software, but specialists argue the tech was difficult to integrate with other tools.

Three #NHS specialists said the service should instead adopt an entirely open-source system, where source code can be easily modified, shared and exported. NHS guidelines state that services should be built using open, reusable code whenever possible.

“Publishing source code under an open licence means that you’re less likely to get locked in to working with a single supplier,” the #NHS’s service standard states.

Two people referred to OpenSAFELY, the software platform designed by Oxford university academic Ben Goldacre and used to analyse the impact of Covid-19 infection on patients, as an alternative that was secure and open source.

Last year, the #NHS split its contract into four parts, preventing one provider from handling all aspects of the operating system. But the right to run the platform — worth up to £480mn — remains the most valuable prize. There are further signs of internal opposition.

#NHS England launched a £50,000 procurement process in November for a “staff engagement project” to encourage Foundry’s uptake among staff who manage drugs. “Only a small proportion of the 800 team members have used it, & there is some resistance to new ways of data usage.”

#NHS England’s chief data & analytics officer told data specialists in February that the organisation’s board preferred to “‘buy-in’ commercial off-the-shelf products & configure these, rather than build everything from scratch”, as a means of managing resources efficiently.

As many off-the-shelf products use proprietary technology that are not open source, Tang’s comments sparked unease, two people said. “She didn’t seem to understand the concerns about rowing back from open source. It seems a completely backward step”, said one data specialist.

Cori Crider, a director at tech justice group Foxglove, called the approach “short-sighted”. “It will put the #NHS in hock to US tech giants and wasteful consultancies, potentially for years,” she added.

#NHS England said it had not yet selected a software provider for the £480mn contract but that they “will adhere to Open Standards principles”. Palantir said: “Our software has been proven to help the NHS deliver better care.”