A member-led call to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
We welcome signatures from college members, healthcare professionals, patients and members of the public.
To: Mr Tim Mitchell, Chair of Council, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
Cc: Member Royal Colleges of the AoMRC
Dear Mr Mitchell,
In 2023, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges welcomed the NHS Federated Data Platform as an “exciting development” that could “transform the way we deliver patient care”. The contract was subsequently awarded to a Palantir-led consortium. The platform was marketed as a way to bring together operational data stored in digital systems used by NHS organisations, using technology from Palantir, a company known for intelligence, surveillance, military technology and AI-driven data analytics.
The Academy had also promised to “sound the alarm” if concerns about NHS patient data were not addressed.
Since then, however, Palantir has faced serious allegations and scrutiny concerning AI-assisted warfare, AI-enabled military targeting, complicity in war crimes, mass surveillance, predictive policing, racial profiling, surveillance of political dissent, targeting of peaceful protesters, ICE raids in the United States, migrant tracking, arbitrary detention, mass deportations, and violations of fundamental rights
Its involvement in the NHS has also raised serious concerns over rejection by NHS trusts, opposition from professional healthcare associations and wider trade unions, calls from parliamentary committees to abandon the contract, exposure of identifiable patient data, risks to patient confidentiality, erosion of patient trust, lack of procurement transparency, dangerous commercial dependency, excessive corporate influence, unsubstantiated claims of benefits, misleading performance statistics, and dangerous public-sector vulnerability
On 6 November 2026, The Guardian reported that the government was planning to extend Palantir’s £330 million NHS contract, despite mounting scrutiny and public outrage
Yet, amid profound moral and ethical challenges facing our profession and longstanding demands for ethical scrutiny and corporate accountability, the Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Pharmacy have recently taken landmark decisions demonstrating that professional institutions can challenge powerful commercial interests and act decisively when ethical principles are at stake.
We, the signatories, are sounding the alarm. We pledge to uphold our professional ethical responsibilities by opposing institutional engagement with Palantir, and call upon the Academy and its member Royal Colleges to do the same.
So, to the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, whose authority rests on the very principles of the Hippocratic Oath, we respectfully ask:
When will you sound the alarm on Palantir?
References and further reading
NHS England (2023) — Academy response to the Federated Data Platform
england.nhs.uk/2023/11/new-nhs-software-to-improve...
NHS England (2023) — Commitment to “sound the alarm”
england.nhs.uk/2023/09/public-asked-to-shape-futur...
The Stack (2023) — Palantir's £330 million NHS contract
https://www.thestack.technology/nhs-signs-palantir-up-under-330-million-nhs-data-contract/
United Nations (2025) — Special Rapporteur's report on corporate involvement in the occupied Palestinian territory
un.org/unispal/document/a-hrc-59-23-from-economy-o...
Medact (2026) — Briefing on Palantir and the NHS Federated Data Platform
medact.org/2026/resources/briefing-palantir-fdp/...
American Civil Liberties Union — Palantir, immigration enforcement and deportations
aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/palantir-deportat...
Amnesty International (2025) — Surveillance threats to protesters and migrants
amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/08/usa-global-tech...
The Guardian (17 October 2026) — NHS trusts rejecting Palantir's technology
theguardian.com/technology/2026/oct/17/palantir-pa...
House of Commons Library (29 October 2026) — Parliamentary committee recommendations concerning Palantir's NHS contract
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cb...
National Data Guardian — Statement on FDP data access
gov.uk/government/news/national-data-guardian-stat...
National Data Guardian — Advice on public and professional trust
gov.uk/government/publications/ndg-advises-ministe...
UK Parliament — Procurement transparency report
committees.parliament.uk/publications/53352/docume...
UK Parliament, Science, Innovation and Technology Committee — Warning on Palantir
committees.parliament.uk/committee/135/science-inn...
The Guardian (2 November 2026) — Palantir's reported lack of use across NHS trusts
theguardian.com/technology/2026/nov/02/palantir-un...
Office for Statistics Regulation — Assessment of NHS England's FDP performance statistics
osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/nhs-england-fe...
The Guardian (6 November 2026) — Reported plans to extend Palantir's NHS contract
theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/nov/06/burnham-...
The Guardian (30 September 2026) — Formal objections to Palantir's NHS data processing
theguardian.com/technology/2026/sep/30/legal-objec...
Care in Conflict — Statements on medical ethics and institutional responsibility
https://www.careinconflict.com/statements/
The BMJ (2026) — Article on ethical disengagement and institutional accountability
bmj.com/content/bmj/391/bmj.r2277.full.pdf...
The Guardian (2 October 2026) — Royal College of Nursing decision
theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/02/royal-college-...
The Guardian (9 October 2026) — Royal College of Pharmacy decision
theguardian.com/society/2026/oct/09/royal-college-...
Additional information for signatories: Under ‘Organisation’, please enter your royal college, professional association, trade union, or professional membership (e.g. RCPCH, BMA, UNISON, MRCP).