NHS England

A campaign group, Foxglove, has demanded the UK health minister clarify data justifying a £330 million NHS investment in Palantir's data-sharing system. NHS England claimed 139 trusts using the Federated Data Platform reported benefits, but an FOI request revealed nearly a third performed fewer procedures post-implementation. The Office for Statistics Regulation is assessing the validity of NHS England's claims.

NHS England plans to inform patients on hospital treatment waiting lists at least three weeks before their next appointment, inspired by customer service models of online retailers like John Lewis and Amazon. The initiative requires hospitals to notify patients of operations, diagnostic tests, or consultant meetings three weeks in advance.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has voted to reject the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, citing its 'chilling effect' on workplace free speech. The BMA called for protections and guidance for healthcare workers facing disciplinary action for expressing political views on international conflicts, including Palestine and Israel.

The British Medical Association (BMA) voted to drop the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, citing free speech concerns. The decision follows reports of NHS workers being reprimanded for expressing support for Palestine, with the BMA urging protections for staff discussing international conflicts.

NHS England has acknowledged that key data does not demonstrate Palantir’s effectiveness. The health service stated that performance improvements cannot be linked to a £330mn contract with Palantir.

The UK government is reviewing its contract with Palantir for the NHS Federated Data Platform, awarded under a SaaS model with £330 million. Experts criticize the deal due to Palantir's ties to US security agencies and the NHS's failure to establish health data standards, while the company claims improved patient outcomes.

NHS patients in England cannot opt out of Palantir's NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP) data processing, but individual NHS trusts can choose to avoid using it. Palantir's role in the FDP has faced scrutiny over data access risks and political pressure to end its involvement, with the government deciding this year whether to extend its contract beyond 2027.

NHS England is deploying Microsoft's AI assistant to 505,000 workers after a trial with 30,000 staff showed the tool saved an average of 43 minutes of administrative time per person daily.

The Guardian criticizes NHS England's contract with Palantir, which grants engineers 'unlimited access' to identifiable patient data, violating medical confidentiality. The £330m deal allegedly allows private companies access to sensitive medical information without patient consent, risking public trust.

NHS England approved Elahere, the first new drug for chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer in over 20 years, offering life-prolonging treatment to hundreds of women. Ovarian cancer affects over 300,000 women annually, with most diagnosed at advanced stages.

A proposed NHS modernisation bill in England aims to require GPs and hospitals to share patient data, potentially reducing 20,000 A&E visits annually and saving £20m. The bill includes measures like single patient records for health and social care, as part of the government's 10-year health plan.

The UK government has increased the maximum value of an NHS AI and robotics framework agreement from £150 million to £750 million following consultation with tech suppliers. The procurement seeks AI solutions across eight categories including radiology, diagnostics, and operational efficiency. The decision has been approved by NHS England, the Cabinet Office, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Hospitals in England have met a key target for improving treatment times, with 65.3% of patients treated within 18 weeks by the end of March. This achievement prompted outgoing health secretary Wes Streeting to declare that Labour's plan for the NHS is working. The target was set by Streeting to ensure hospitals treated at least 65% of patients within the specified timeframe.

Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board has decided not to join the NHS Federated Data Platform due to concerns over its lead supplier, Palantir, and a lack of evidence for the technology's benefits. The board manages health services for 2.8 million people and is the only one in England to defer a decision on joining the platform. The decision comes amid controversy over Palantir's contract with NHS England.

NHS England has confirmed that Palantir staff can access patient data following a change in policy, which may risk loss of public confidence in safeguarding patient data. The Federated Data Platform is designed to improve data sharing across the NHS in England. Palantir provides the technology for the platform under a £330 million contract.

More than 6,000 children have been treated at obesity clinics in England since 2021, including hundreds as young as four who are considered extremely overweight. The data from NHS England highlights the growing childhood obesity crisis. Hundreds of four-year-olds have required treatment at specialist weight-loss clinics.

MPs have warned that granting Palantir access to identifiable NHS England patient data is dangerous and will fuel public fears about data privacy. The decision allows staff from Palantir and other contractors to access patient data before it has been pseudonymised. This move is part of a project to build an integrated platform using AI to improve the health service.

NHS England has granted Palantir access to identifiable patient data, sparking concerns over data privacy and public trust. MPs have warned that this decision is 'dangerous' and will fuel fears that data privacy is not being prioritized. The US tech firm has been given 'unlimited access' to certain data to build an integrated platform.

The UK National Health Service's plan to move away from open source software has sparked negative reactions, with many arguing that public code should be kept open. The Free Software Foundation Europe has spoken out against the move and an open letter is available for signatures. The decision is seen as a bad move, potentially compromising digital sovereignty and security.

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) is temporarily closing hundreds of GitHub repositories due to concerns over advanced AI and security risks. The decision aims to strengthen cybersecurity while assessing the impact of rapid developments in AI models. This move marks a temporary shift from NHS' longstanding policy of favoring open source.

An open letter is urging NHS England to maintain open-source licensing for its code. The article, hosted on keepthingsopen.com, highlights concerns about transparency and accessibility in healthcare software development.

The NHS England is spending £46,000 on benchmarking to prepare for renegotiating a £774M software agreement with Microsoft. This effort aims to position the UK public sector's largest software deal for future negotiations.

Kemi Badenoch, a UK Conservative Party leader, has pledged to address far-Left bigotry in the public sector following an incident where an NHS England manager used a racist slur against the Tory leader. The incident highlights tensions between political factions and public sector management.