Greater Manchester remains sole NHS region to reject Palantir data platform
The region continues to rely on its own locally developed analytics infrastructure despite national mandates.
Greater Manchester has become the only region in England to repeatedly decline the adoption of the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP). This resistance marks a significant break from the national strategy to centralize patient and operational data under a system operated by the US firm Palantir.
While most of England is transitioning to the FDP, the Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board (ICB) has deferred or declined signing up for the platform. Instead, the region has opted to maintain its own home-spun analytics and data science infrastructure, which was developed over the best part of a decade. This local approach stands in direct contrast to the national rollout of the FDP, a project led by a Palantir-led consortium with a contract valued at approximately £330 million over a maximum of seven years.
The push for centralization
The FDP is a massive initiative by NHS England designed to unify fragmented data across various trusts to improve operational efficiency and patient care. However, the selection of Palantir—a company known for its deep ties to intelligence and defense agencies—has triggered widespread privacy concerns and political backlash across the United Kingdom. The tension centers on whether sensitive health data should be managed via software provided by a firm with a history in surveillance and military intelligence.
Local autonomy vs. national mandate
Greater Manchester's refusal to join the FDP serves as a proof-of-concept that regional health boards can successfully manage complex data integration without relying on third-party firms. By building and maintaining its own infrastructure, the region has demonstrated that local autonomy is a viable alternative to the centralized model pushed by NHS England. This creates a visible friction point between the drive for national standardization and the desire for regional control over data governance.
Political implications
The regional standoff has taken on new significance following the political ascent of Andy Burnham, who transitioned from Mayor of Greater Manchester to Prime Minister in 2026. Burnham's history of supporting Manchester's independent data strategy suggests a potential shift in national policy. Observers are now watching to see if this local resistance will influence a broader national move toward dropping Palantir in favor of more transparent or locally managed systems. Whether the FDP will eventually be dismantled or if Greater Manchester will be forced into compliance remains the primary question for the future of NHS data.