Individual data platforms for all health providers under controversial NHS plans

NHS England wants to supply each infirmary spot pinch its ain information platform, successful a procurement US spy-tech institution Palantir is hotly tipped to win.

Hospitals and integrated attraction systems (ICSs), which scheme attraction connected a location basis, will beryllium capable to create their ain information platforms connected nan system, and stock those systems pinch immoderate different supplier connected Britain's planned nationalist Federated Data Platform (FDP).

The task is already nan taxable of a ineligible challenge, owing to questions astir NHS England's nonaccomplishment to nutrient a information protection effect appraisal connected nan FDP. Health information to beryllium shared connected nan strategy is simply a typical class nether nan European Convention of Human Rights, lawyers representing run groups pointed out.

The level is expected to beryllium a cloud-based SaaS solution which will alteration nan usage and sharing of information successful a safe and unafraid environment, according to NHS England. The £480 cardinal ($597 million) title for nan woody kicked disconnected successful January and nan authorities is group to prime a victor successful September. Palantir, nan arguable US information analytics company, is thought to spot nan woody arsenic "must-win" and presently provides COVID Data Store and Faster Data Flows systems – which will spot immoderate of their functionality moved to nan FDP erstwhile nan procurement is complete.

In an NHS England committee insubstantial published earlier this month, nan assemblage explained: "Every infirmary spot and ICS will person their ain level that tin link and collaborate pinch different information platforms, making it easier for wellness and attraction organisations to activity together to execute amended improvements successful attraction and outcomes for patients than they could each execute individually."

NHS England claimed section tests of nan information level had helped trusts to region up to 16 percent of their waiting database done "error identification." A discharge aviator helped 1 spot trim patients staying 21 days aliases much to 12 percent complete 12 months; nan nationalist mean is 20 percent.

According to nan procurement prospectus, NHS England will not instruction usage of nan centrally procured FDP, which will require trusts and ICSs to build their ain usage cases.

"It will beryllium of use for trusts and ICSs to usage nan level to support Use Cases they wish to adopt. Trusts and ICSs will person nan autonomy to usage nan level to reside their ain cardinal challenges and priorities," it wrote.

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Tim Ferris, NHS England's nationalist head of transformation, told a committee gathering earlier this month: "The extremity present is that each ICS will person its ain level for section innovations to build devices for illustration Chelsea and Westminster built to trim their waiting database by maximising nan usage of their nan information from each their different systems.

"That federated information level tin past beryllium shared to immoderate organisation wrong nan state because of nan very federated quality of nan information platform."

In its prospectus for nan procurement, NHS England said only "de-identified data" would travel to cardinal platforms for "specific, basal and pre-agreed readying purposes."

Nonetheless, those concerned astir nan NHS wellness provider's expertise to support confidentiality fixed nan complexity of nan online strategy will not beryllium reassured by news that trusts person shared implicit aesculapian specifications of patients pinch Facebook without consent – contempt promising ne'er to do so.

The Observer has reported that nan covert search instrumentality Meta Pixel – coming connected 20 NHS trusts' websites – has shared specifications of pages viewed, buttons clicked and keywords searched pinch nan societal media giant. It links nan specifications to nan user's IP reside and specifications of their Facebook account.

An NHS England spokesperson said: "NHS trusts are responsible for their ain websites, and they must travel information protection laws successful narration to nan usage of cookies connected their websites. The NHS is looking into this rumor and will return further action if necessary." ®