Twenty-nine NHS trusts listed as benefiting from Palantir's Federated Data Platform (FDP) said in Freedom of Information responses that they were not using it, according to health worker campaign group Medact.
That represents about 21 percent of the 137 trusts NHS England lists as "realising benefits" as ministers weigh whether to continue the contract.
The government must decide in December whether to continue the £330 million agreement with a Palantir-led consortium supplying the platform.
Medact, which is campaigning against the deal, collected the responses to scrutinize the government's case for retaining Palantir. The relationship between the US tech biz and the NHS began during the pandemic with contracts worth £60 million awarded without competition.
NHS England awarded the FDP contract in November 2023. It says the platform brings together operational data held in separate systems to help staff work more efficiently.
NHS England's September figures list 142 trusts as live on the platform - 137 of which it claims are benefiting.
Among the disputed entries, NHS England cites University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust as receiving benefits from the platform, but in response to an FoI request in July, the trust said: "FDP is not live. We do not intend to roll it out in the future. A variety of factors prevent roll out, but primarily it does not appear to provide functionality over and above what we have already."
Meanwhile, a response from Nottingham University Hospitals said "no implementation timeline has been agreed," according to The Guardian.
The Register asked NHS England to explain the discrepancy.
An NHS spokesperson said: "The NHS Federated Data Platform is universally available for all NHS trusts and integrated care boards across England, with local NHS organisations able to select individual tools depending on their needs.
"137 NHS trusts have now reported benefits from the wide range of tools available on the platform – helping staff join-up and improve care for patients, and work more efficiently."
Palantir maintains its software is playing an important role in improving patient care and helping to deliver 100,000 additional operations, a 12 percent reduction in discharge delays and the removal of 675,000 patients from waiting lists.
In July, the UK's statistical regulator told NHS England to ensure greater accuracy in quoting figures following a row over data used to promote the purported benefits of the FDP.
Dame Chi Onwurah, the chair of the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, has given the government until today to clarify its response to questions over whether NHS England has any exit plans should it decide to end the Palantir contract in February.
James Frith, a junior minister in the Department of Health and Social Care, wrote [PDF] to the Committee in October explaining that the contract has "measures built in to facilitate exit and transition including clear intellectual property rights in NHS build products or components."
He continued: "Publishing more detailed information on the Exit Plan would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests and NHS England's ability to secure best value for taxpayers in future commercial activity."
Onwurah replied: "I understand that you will not publish the exit plan, but will you confirm if one has been prepared?"
The Register asked Palantir to comment. ®
