In the first of an exclusive series of articles by the former deputy director of data engineering at NHS England, we examine the real story behind the NHS’s controversial Palantir software project, the Federated Data PlatformInside FDP” is an exclusive series of articles penned by Tom Bartlett, the former deputy director of data engineering at NHS England. Bartlett was at the helm of a 150-strong team that developed the Federated Data Platform (FDP), a system supplied by Palantir that has sparked controversy due to its role in linking data across the health and care service. Bartlett’s insights into the challenges confronting NHS data, along with the potential solutions to these issues, provide indispensable reading for anyone seeking to comprehend the true state of affairs with the FDP within the NHS.
Since my departure from NHS England in March, I have been vocal about the NHS Federated Data Platform (FDP). The reactions have been remarkable. Senior analysts, clinical leaders, healthtech founders, and journalists have all been asking variations of the same questions. Why is Palantir’s software platform uniquely suited to this task? What can the FDP do that existing platforms cannot? Why can’t the NHS or a UK-based software company build a similar platform? Why aren’t we capitalizing on our existing investments? Is it merely an expensive data warehouse?
Beneath all these queries lies the most crucial question – what problem is the FDP actually trying to solve? The more I engage in these discussions, the more I realize that the answer has never been explicitly stated in public. The program’s own communications have portrayed the FDP as a tool for connecting vital health information across the NHS, aiding staff in delivering superior patient care and working more efficiently.
Critics have zeroed in on the supplier and its controversial reputation, while commentators have debated the procurement process. Almost no one has identified the fundamental problem that the platform was designed to solve, or the architectural vision that some of the most senior data leaders in NHS England have been striving towards but have rarely expressed publicly. This series of articles aims to bridge that gap.
The argument hinges on a concept I refer to as a “frontline-first” approach to data. While not a new idea, elements of it can be found scattered across the NHS and in the minds of those who have been grappling with this issue for years. However, as a named concept with a clear definition, it has not been part of the public discourse. I believe it should be. The FDP represents the first attempt to construct the integrated foundation that the NHS has been cobbling together workarounds for, in its absence, for the past 30 years.
This series comprises five parts. The first post outlines the problem. Part 2 delves into the Frontline-First concept and its practical application, including how the FDP facilitates it. Part 3 discusses the architectural choice that sets the FDP apart – the ontology, object types, and actions. Part 4 elucidates why the Canonical Data Model is the program’s most valuable asset. Part 5 tackles the most common objections, including whether the NHS requires a single platform at all.
The current NHS data architecture was not designed; it evolved. When I began my first job in the NHS at the Royal Cornwall, I quickly realized that the system was not built with a clear plan in mind. Instead, it was a patchwork of solutions, each addressing a specific need at a specific time. This lack of foresight has led to a complex, inefficient system that struggles to meet the demands of modern healthcare. The FDP is an attempt to rectify this, providing a unified, efficient platform for managing and analyzing healthcare data.
In conclusion, the FDP represents a significant step forward in the management of healthcare data in the NHS. By adopting a frontline-first approach, the platform aims to address the fundamental issues that have plagued the NHS’s data architecture for decades. While the path ahead is fraught with challenges, the potential benefits of a unified, efficient data platform are immense. As we continue to explore the FDP and its implications, it is crucial to keep these potential benefits in mind and strive towards a future where data can be harnessed effectively to improve patient care.
