Palantir pressed minister to extend AI tools into GP records

Palantir lobbied a health minister to consider extending its artificial intelligence technology into GP records. The information has emerged from WhatsApp messages obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

The American company sent messages directly over WhatsApp to former health minister Zubir Ahmed, arguing that 'the logic of joining up primary and secondary [care] data is unarguable' and that its software was 'ideal' for the job.

The push came in February this year, even though GP data was expressly ruled out of scope of Palantir's existing £330m contract with NHS England. Under that contract, the company runs the NHS federated data platform (FDP).

The messages were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by Foxglove, a tech equity campaign group, and shared with the Guardian. The messages span several months from July 2025 to March 2026.

The messages appear to be between Palantir's UK boss, Louis Mosley, and the former health minister Zubir Ahmed. In the messages and a briefing document, Palantir urged Ahmed to 'get out ahead of' likely 'political' opposition from doctors and vocal critics of Palantir, such as the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, and Your Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.

The firm also told Ahmed: 'The FDP is already delivering very strong results — but will deliver even more benefits faster with the right ministerial sponsorship.'

Groups representing doctors and patients, including the British Medical Association, have opposed the integration of GP data into Palantir's FDP. Doctors fear it could undermine trust with patients.

Palantir's co-founder is the Trump-supporting billionaire Peter Thiel. The company says its platform has helped cut surgery waiting times and discharge delays.

But the debate over adding sensitive information such as GP records to the platform is not going away. The messages show the company tried, through the minister, to widen the reach of its technology despite opposition from doctors' groups.

The messages published through Foxglove have now raised fresh questions about the management of NHS data and patients' privacy. Critics are asking how pressure was applied to add GP data even though it was outside the scope of the contract.