For months, the national debate around NHS data infrastructure has felt strangely narrow, trapped in a false binary where the health service either embraces mega-contracts with US tech firms like Palantir or falls behind into digital obsolescence.
When my recent letter was published in The Guardian, my goal was to break that illusion.
The decision by Greater Manchester’s Integrated Care Board (ICB) to decline the Palantir-built Federated Data Platform wasn't a knee-jerk reaction or an anti-American stance. It was born out of bold conviction and practical experience. For nine years, Greater Manchester proved that you don't need to hand over the digital keys of your health service to massive overseas conglomerates.
A viable, domestic, sovereign alternative isn't a hypothetical concept sitting on a drawing board. It is already built, and it is running right now.
What Greater Manchester Proved
While NHS England signed off on vast central contracts, Greater Manchester chose a different route. The region built its own integrated data capabilities locally, collaborating directly with:
- British universities to ensure research-backed, ethical data architecture.
- Frontline NHS clinicians who actually use these tools daily at the bedside.
- Domestic technology partners accountable to UK standards and public oversight.
When evaluated side by side, Greater Manchester’s homegrown system was found to be stronger, more flexible, and better aligned with clinical needs than the imported platform.
If one English region can build sovereign health data infrastructure that outperforms a massive foreign import, why on earth can’t the entire nation?
"As healthcare becomes increasingly dependent on digital platforms, cloud infrastructure, and AI, relying on a handful of dominant foreign tech monopolies isn't just expensive, it's a critical strategic risk."
Sovereign Infrastructure as Common Sense
We are entering an era where AI algorithms, predictive triage, and real-time operational data will dictate how hospitals run and how care is delivered. In this world, control over health data infrastructure is just as vital as control over energy grids or transportation networks.
To be clear: this isn't about isolationism. It is basic technological common sense.
When you build domestic capabilities:
- Public Trust Stays Intact: Patients feel confident knowing their medical records aren't being processed by defense-adjacent foreign corporations.
- Economic Value Stays Local: Public funds reinvest in British engineering, UK university research, and local tech ecosystems rather than being funnelled offshore.
- Agility Increases: Local clinicians can rapidly update and adapt software to meet evolving community health trends without waiting on multi-billion-dollar vendor roadmaps.
The Path Forward for Whitehall
If NHS staff are uneasy about these giant imported platforms, and if political leaders recognise that handing health data over to foreign conglomerates alienates voters, then the answer is simple: carry the Manchester model to Downing Street.
We need national policy that puts real power back into the hands of UK innovation. The domestic healthcare technology sector in Britain is ready to scale; we just need national leaders with the political courage to back it.
