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NHS staff blockade the entrance to NHS England's headquarters in central London demanding the cancellation of its contract with Palantir, which supplies advanced technology to Israel's military, April 3, 2024
A TOP civil servant recused herself from working on the NHS’s contract with Palantir over conflict of interests concerns.
Health officials today announced that Samantha Jones is opting out of decision-making regarding the health service’s £330 million contract with the US tech and surveillance firm.
A permanent secretary to the Department of Health, Ms Jones worked as an adviser to healthcare consultancy Carnall Farrar, which was part of a Palantir consortium as it bid for the contract to develop the NHS’s Federated Data Platform (FDP).
This week MPs asked she no longer be involved in decisions relating to the contract when it is to be renewed next year, according to the FT.
Ms Jones apologised after the Civil Service Commission said she failed to apply for clearance to work while she was a non-executive director in the Department of Health.
A spokesperson insisted she never worked on the data-sharing contract.
Politicians who continue to welcome contracts with US companies without considering the risks and consequences of total dependency in the years to come are undermining the raison d’etre of the NHS, argues Dr JOHN PUNTIS