Freedom of information responses from across England show many NHS organisations declining to adopt Palantir’s federated data platform (FDP) introduced in March 2024, with at least 16 trusts and health boards saying they do not use it. Several cited no functional advantage over existing local systems - examples include University Hospitals of North Midlands, Dorset HealthCare, Humber Teaching, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Avon and Wiltshire, and University Hospitals Birmingham - while others ran trials and reverted to prior software. A number of trusts that do use the FDP reported it made waiting‑list management and surgery scheduling easier, but many local leaders called it duplicative or “retrograde.” The government must decide whether to exercise a break clause in the seven‑year contract amid public protests over the firm’s other contracts and comments by cofounder Peter Thiel.
Palantir insists the FDP is successful, pointing to NHS figures it says show 117,000 additional operations and a 14.3% drop in long‑stay discharge delays, and that 137 trusts have reported benefits; NHS England cautions those statistics do not prove causation. Two parliamentary select committees have urged ending the deal, the national data guardian highlighted a significant “trust factor” after more than 44,000 legal objections, and local suppliers and campaigners argue home‑grown systems and better interoperability would deliver equal or greater value. Palantir’s new senior vice‑president, Tom Watson, has pushed back against pressure to let protests shape procurement.
Summary generated by AI from the linked article. hn.today is not affiliated with Hacker News or Y Combinator.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has launched an investigation into nine large national banks over alleged debanking practices. The inquiry aims to determine whether these banks have unlawfully restricted access to banking services. (forbes.com)
British Airways has updated its rules to prohibit covert filming of employees with Meta smart glasses, warning that doing so can lead to flight cancellation and refusal of service. The airline can also report incidents to authorities if recording without consent is suspected. (liveandletsfly.com)
The EPA has retracted its claim that the US has phased out the toxic PFAS compounds Pfoa and Pfos. Despite recognizing their dangers, the agency continues to permit production and use of these chemicals in certain products. (theguardian.com)
Namecheap has seized and disabled all domains associated with an account, causing disruption. The user reports being blocked and unable to access their domains or account features. (reddit.com)
Python's precompiled binary wheels simplify package installation but pose security risks because attackers can upload malicious binaries that do not match the source code. Analyzing and verifying binary integrity is difficult, making supply chain attacks increasingly likely in the Python ecosystem. (rushter.com)
Microsoft has withdrawn from a major AI datacentre project in Essex due to concerns over power supply stability. The project, led by UK firm Nscale, was expected to be the largest of its kind in the country. (theguardian.com)
Today's best Hacker News stories, summarized and screenshotted, one email a day.