The Financial Times reports controversy surrounding the procurement of the NHS Federated Data Platform, subsequently awarded to Palantir. Emails obtained under FOI reportedly show that an NHS England official raised objections to wording in a proposed statement by the National Data Guardian before the contract award. NHS England says it did not pressure the Guardian, while the Guardian’s office says the revisions improved clarity without compromising its position.

Regardless of the competing interpretations of the episode, it provides a useful case study about the importance of maintaining an auditable separation between procurement decision-making, stakeholder communications and governance during sensitive procurement.