The Shadow Contract - A Good Law Project Podcast

Good Law Project
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  • POLITICS

The Shadow Contract is an investigative podcast about power, technology and the future of the NHS. When the UK government awarded a £330m contract to the controversial data company Palantir to build the NHS’s new Federated Data Platform, ministers promised a revolution in efficiency and patient care. But behind the headlines lies a far more complex story. Hosted by Eliza Pitkin of Good Law Project, The Shadow Contract investigates how a surveillance technology firm with deep roots in military intelligence, immigration enforcement and policing came to sit at the heart of Britain’s public health infrastructure. Across four episodes we reveal covert influence campaigns, emergency pandemic deals that quietly grew into massive public contracts and the global track record of the company now handling vast amounts of sensitive health data. Along the way we speak to doctors, analysts, campaigners and experts asking urgent questions about transparency, trust and the growing power of private tech companies inside public services. Because the NHS holds one of the most valuable health datasets in the world. And the decisions being made now could shape how that data is used - and who controls it - for decades to come. From the fault lines of Israel and Gaza to Mandelson and the corridors of Westminster power and the elite networks exposed in the wake of Epstein, The Shadow Contract reveals how the company handling our health data sits at the centre of it all.

Episodes

  1. Episode 4 - Signed, Sealed… But Far From Delivered (The Palantir NHS Rollout)

    APR 21

    Episode 4 - Signed, Sealed… But Far From Delivered (The Palantir NHS Rollout)

    The government says the NHS data platform is a success. Freedom of Information requests tell a different story. In the final episode of The Shadow Contract, we examine the rollout of the Federated Data Platform and the growing gap between the official narrative and what is happening inside the NHS. Freedom of Information requests reveal that far fewer hospital trusts are actively using the system than government figures suggest. Some organisations say the platform offers little they don’t already have. Others warn of hidden costs and unanswered questions about long-term risks. We also examine a deeper concern: vendor lock-in. Once critical health infrastructure becomes dependent on a single technology provider, switching away can become technically and financially difficult. With Palantir’s contract up for renewal in 2027, the decisions made over the next few years could shape the future of NHS data for decades. But campaigners, clinicians and patients across the country are pushing back. Because the story of the NHS’s data future is not yet finished. The Shadow Contract is produced by the Good Law Project. Learn more about Good Law Project’s work and see the full transcript for this episode at goodlawproject.org/podcast Find out if your NHS trust is using the Federated Data Platform: https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/  Check out Just Treatment here: https://justtreatment.org/ and Corporate Watch here: https://corporatewatch.org/

    47 min
  2. Episode 3 - Drag and Drop (Palantir, Surveillance & Health Data)

    APR 21

    Episode 3 - Drag and Drop (Palantir, Surveillance & Health Data)

    Palantir’s systems connect government data across the world. What happens when that infrastructure reaches the NHS? In episode three of The Shadow Contract, we look beyond the NHS to examine Palantir’s wider record around the world – from immigration enforcement in the United States to data-sharing systems used by police and intelligence agencies. Palantir’s platforms are designed to connect vast amounts of data, turning fragmented information into powerful analytical tools. In healthcare, that capability could help hospitals plan services and save lives. But critics warn the same infrastructure could also enable something far more troubling: surveillance. We explore how Palantir systems have already been used to combine healthcare, benefits and immigration data in the United States and why some experts fear similar capabilities could emerge in the UK if safeguards fail. As governments around the world invest heavily in integrated data platforms, a deeper question begins to surface: where is the line between care and control? Because once those data systems exist, the debate is no longer about whether they can be used, but how. The Shadow Contract is produced by the Good Law Project. Learn more about Good Law Project’s work and see the full transcript for this episode at goodlawproject.org/podcast Find out if your NHS trust is using the Federated Data Platform: https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/  Check out Just Treatment here: https://justtreatment.org/ and Corporate Watch here: https://corporatewatch.org/

    37 min
  3. Episode 2 - Your Data at Pound-Shop Prices (The £1 Palantir Contract)

    APR 21

    Episode 2 - Your Data at Pound-Shop Prices (The £1 Palantir Contract)

    A £1 pandemic contract becomes a £330m NHS data deal and gives Palantir a foothold inside Britain’s health system. In episode two of The Shadow Contract, we rewind to the moment Palantir first entered the NHS during the Covid pandemic – through a seemingly generous £1 contract to help manage emergency health data. What looked like a short-term solution quickly grew into something far bigger: a £330m contract to build the NHS Federated Data Platform, one of the largest data projects in NHS history. Through testimony from NHS analysts, researchers and campaigners, we explore how an emergency response became a long-term foothold. Along the way we uncover concerns about transparency, the role of lobbying networks and the growing influence of private tech companies inside public healthcare. At stake is more than a procurement process. The NHS holds one of the richest health datasets in the world – a resource capable of transforming medicine. But if public trust collapses, that dataset could be fatally weakened. And that raises the question: who should control the infrastructure behind it? The Shadow Contract is produced by the Good Law Project. Learn more about Good Law Project’s work and see the full transcript for this episode at goodlawproject.org/podcast Find out if your NHS trust is using the Federated Data Platform: https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/  Check out Just Treatment here: https://justtreatment.org/ and Corporate Watch here: https://corporatewatch.org/

    44 min
  4. Episode 1 - The Influencer Campaign (Palantir and NHS Data)

    APR 21

    Episode 1 - The Influencer Campaign (Palantir and NHS Data)

    A covert influencer campaign reveals how a powerful tech company tried to shape the public debate around its £330m NHS data deal. In the opening episode of The Shadow Contract, an email lands in the inbox of a healthcare campaigner. At first it seems routine – a marketing agency asking influencers to post about NHS data. But when the full proposal arrives, something far more troubling becomes clear. Behind the campaign is Palantir, the controversial data analytics company awarded a £330m contract to run the NHS’s Federated Data Platform. And the strategy appears designed to discredit critics without revealing who is really behind the messaging. Through interviews with doctors, campaigners and experts, we reveal how a covert influencer campaign attempted to reshape the public debate around one of the biggest NHS data deals in history. But this story is about far more than social media. It raises urgent questions about transparency, corporate influence and who should control the infrastructure behind Britain’s most sensitive health data. Because when powerful companies try to influence the conversation in secret, trust becomes the first casualty. The Shadow Contract is produced by the Good Law Project. Learn more about Good Law Project’s work and see the full transcript for this episode at goodlawproject.org/podcast Find out if your NHS trust is using the Federated Data Platform: https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/  Check out Just Treatment here: https://justtreatment.org/ and Corporate Watch here: https://corporatewatch.org/

    35 min

  5. SEASON 1 TRAILER

    Introducing The Shadow Contract - A Good Law Project Podcast

    What happens when one of the world’s most controversial data companies moves into the NHS? The Shadow Contract is an investigative podcast uncovering the hidden story behind the UK government’s £330m deal with Palantir to build the NHS Federated Data Platform. From a covert influencer campaign to a £1 contract that quietly grew into one of the biggest NHS technology deals in history, the series follows the trail of documents, decisions and power behind the platform. Through leaked emails, expert interviews and Freedom of Information requests, we reveal how an emergency contract signed during the pandemic turned into one of the most significant technology deals in NHS history - and why doctors, analysts and campaigners are raising the alarm. Because this isn’t just about software. It’s about power, trust and who controls the infrastructure behind Britain’s most sensitive health data.

    2 min

Trailer

About

The Shadow Contract is an investigative podcast about power, technology and the future of the NHS. When the UK government awarded a £330m contract to the controversial data company Palantir to build the NHS’s new Federated Data Platform, ministers promised a revolution in efficiency and patient care. But behind the headlines lies a far more complex story. Hosted by Eliza Pitkin of Good Law Project, The Shadow Contract investigates how a surveillance technology firm with deep roots in military intelligence, immigration enforcement and policing came to sit at the heart of Britain’s public health infrastructure. Across four episodes we reveal covert influence campaigns, emergency pandemic deals that quietly grew into massive public contracts and the global track record of the company now handling vast amounts of sensitive health data. Along the way we speak to doctors, analysts, campaigners and experts asking urgent questions about transparency, trust and the growing power of private tech companies inside public services. Because the NHS holds one of the most valuable health datasets in the world. And the decisions being made now could shape how that data is used - and who controls it - for decades to come. From the fault lines of Israel and Gaza to Mandelson and the corridors of Westminster power and the elite networks exposed in the wake of Epstein, The Shadow Contract reveals how the company handling our health data sits at the centre of it all.

Information

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