NHS Federated Data Platform

About the NHS Federated Data Platform

Data is a core part of how the NHS delivers care, it’s at the heart of how we transform services and improve outcomes for patients; using it well saves lives.

The NHS Federated Data Platform brings together information from different systems across the NHS. Enabling hospitals and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to use and build digital solutions that improve service efficiency and patient care.

The NHS FDP is flexible and can adjust to address the requirements of local organisations and teams. It enables ICBs and Trusts to utilise pre-existing solutions, if they choose to, and encourages them to create their own tools to improve patient care.

NHS England has procured and paid for licenses for the NHS FDP for all NHS hospital trusts as well as the 42 integrated care boards (ICBs) for the next seven years.

Given this national investment, NHS England has asked all trusts and ICBs to provide plans for how they will maximise the benefits of the NHS Federated Data Platform (NHS FDP) for their patients within the next two years.

The NHS Federated Data Platform and the capabilities it provides to local organisations will help deliver the NHS of the future as set out in the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England.

NHS England’s national procurement process

NHS England’s national procurement process

NHS England ran an independent and transparent procurement exercise for the supplier of the NHS Federated Data Platform in line with appropriate legislation.

The selection of Palantir as the preferred supplier was based on a competitive evaluation involving multiple stakeholders.

NHS England is not legally permitted to exclude any supplier that is lawfully established and able to bid from participating in the procurement.

The contract was awarded in 2023 to a consortium led by Palantir, including Accenture, PwC, Carnall Farrar, and NECS, to deliver the NHS Federated Data Platform.

The role of the supplier

Palantir provides the software platform (Foundry) that underpins the NHS Federated Data Platform. NHS England remain the data controllers at all times.

Palantir operates strictly under the instruction of NHS England. They do not own or control NHS data. Nor are they permitted to access, use or share it for their own purposes.

Local NHS organisations, like (insert trust/ICB name) are in full control of our local instance of the NHS Federated Data Platform.

It is for us and other individual hospital trusts and Integrated Care Boards to decide how to use the platform and who can access what data.

Supplier dependency

The NHS FDP contract specifies the use of open standards and is aligned to the UK Government Technology Code of Practice.

The commercial structure NHS England has chosen preserves competition in key areas of the requirements and provides NHS England rights to ensure data offload and other exit obligations are enabled by the NHS FDP supplier.

Open standards mitigate against bespoke integrations with other NHS systems and will support the exit and transition provisions.

Solution Exchange will also enable publishing and reuse of code and applications across the NHS FDP landscape.

Security and privacy

The NHS Federated Data Platform is built with robust security and privacy controls, including Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) procured separately from Palantir.

The NHS Privacy Enhancing Technology software contract was awarded to IQVIA in November 2023.

Data access is tightly governed. Only authorised users can access data for approved purposes, and all access is logged and auditable.[CE1]

Opt-outs

There is no specific patient opt out from data being shared into the NHS Federated Data Platform, as it is IT software bringing existing patient data together from a wide range of existing clinical IT systems to process it for the same purposes as it is currently being processed.

The NHS Federated Data Platform is not being used to process identifiable data for purposes other than the individual care of patients. Any secondary use of data will be remove identifiable information.

Currently there is no use of data which invokes the National Data Opt out to be applied. If there was a use of data which invoked the National Data Opt-out, the suppliers of both FDP and PET have the capability to ensure it is lawfully applied.

No further uses will be allowed without further engagement with public, patient and stakeholder assurance and advisory groups.

Any additional use must be supported by a clear legal basis and a data protection impact assessment, which is a legal requirement under the UK GDPR.

More information about how the NHS Federated Data Platform protects privacy and confidentiality is available here - NHS England » How we are protecting privacy and confidentiality

Transparency

The NHS Federated Data Platform contract includes strict confidentiality clauses and oversight mechanisms.

NHS England is committed to transparency and has engaged with stakeholders, including MPs and patient groups, to address concerns and continue to build trust as the programme continues.

When the programme launched, NHS England established the Federated Data Platform Check and Challenge Group - a new stakeholder advisory group attended by members from a range of organisations with knowledge and expertise regarding health data, patient and public voice, data security and the health system.

More information about this group and their meetings is available here - NHS England » Federated Data Platform Check and Challenge Group

Inequalities

The NHS Federated Data Platform brings together information from different systems across the NHS. Enabling hospitals and ICBs to use and build digital solutions that improve service efficiency with patient care prioritised.

During The COVID-19 vaccination programme – a similar platform was used to track the number of vaccinations administered across England by geography, gender, ethnicity, disability and deprivation - this meant that local teams could act quickly to work with communities that weren’t accessing vaccines. NHS England » What the FDP means for you

Benefits of the NHS Federated Data Platform

NHS England publicly reports on the uptake and benefits of the NHS FDP every three months, the latest figures published in July show:

• 72 NHS hospital trusts are live and realising benefits from the NHS FDP
• 130 NHS hospital trusts have signed up to adopt the NHS FDP (this figure includes the 72 above)
• 41 of 42 Integrated Care Boards have signed up to adopt the NHS FDP
• As of end March 25, 74,996 extra patients have undergone procedures in operating theatres thanks to the adoption of NHS FDP
• As of end March 25, 21 hospital trusts have seen a 17.2% decrease in the average number of extra days long stay patients (those staying over 21 days) are in hospital thanks to the adoption of NHS FDP
• As of end March 25, the NHS FDP has helped safely remove over 600,000 patients, who don’t need to be there, from inpatient and outpatient hospital waiting lists
• Full figures are available here - NHS England » NHS Federated Data Platform uptake and benefits