Palantir lobbied minister to add GP data to NHS AI platform
WhatsApp messages show the firm urged a health minister to override previous promises to exclude primary care records from its £330 million contract.
By Justin Brooks ·
Palantir sought to expand its £330 million contract with NHS England to include general practitioner records, a move that contradicts earlier government assurances. The US technology firm, co-founded by Peter Thiel, communicated directly with former health minister Zubir Ahmed via WhatsApp between July 2025 and March 2026. These messages were obtained by the campaign group Foxglove through a Freedom of Information request and shared with The Guardian.
In the correspondence, Palantir’s UK boss, Louis Mosley, argued that combining primary and secondary care data was logically necessary. Mosley described the company’s software as ideal for this task and suggested that strong ministerial support would accelerate benefits. The firm noted that its existing federated data platform had already reduced surgery waiting times and discharge delays, claiming that adding GP data would further improve access and patient management.
Palantir advised Ahmed to anticipate political resistance from doctors and critics, including Green Party leader Zack Polanski and Your Party leaders Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana. The company suggested Ahmed get out ahead of the opposition by explaining the changes before they became contentious. In one message, Ahmed praised Mosley’s appearance on a BBC1 Sunday politics program, writing, “Great work [on] Kuenssberg btw.”
The lobbying effort emerged despite a 2023 announcement by the Conservative government that GP data would not be part of the national platform. The British Medical Association and other patient groups have opposed the integration, citing a lack of trust in Palantir, which also serves the Israeli military and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Tom Dolphin, chair of the BMA council, warned that accessing identifiable personal data could undermine the doctor-patient relationship.
Marc Farr, chair of the NHS Chief Data and Analytical Officers Network, stated that Palantir appears to be stretching the scope of its work beyond ministerial statements. He noted that legislative change would be required to include GP data, and emphasized that public trust is essential for realizing the benefits of technology in healthcare. Farr added that two select committees have previously highlighted the need for transparency.
The timing of the lobbying coincides with reports that the government is unlikely to end Palantir’s contract soon. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper told parliament last week that the review was ongoing but acknowledged the long-term benefit of using the NHS to develop UK sovereign AI. Bloomberg reported that Tom Watson, a Labour peer hired as a full-time lobbyist by Palantir in September, wrote to Cooper urging her to keep the contract, citing the need to build Britain’s sovereign technological capability.
Palantir responded that it has long argued data sharing improves the NHS and helps maintain local control over data. The company stated that the exchanges reflect its position that it is for the government to decide how to roll out the software. The Department of Health and Social Care declined to comment on the specific messages or the lobbying efforts.
Foxglove’s advocacy director, Donald Campbell, described the WhatsApp logs as evidence of Palantir pressing to acquire more sensitive public data. He called the situation appalling, noting that the firm made its case privately despite prior pledges to exclude GP records. Campbell said the private nature of the argument showed the company understood the sensitivity of the issue.
