Greens pile pressure on NHS over use of tech giant... even though it has helped to speed up cancer diagnoses

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 18:01 EDT, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 18:59 EDT, 5 September 2026 Zack Polanski's Green activists are using their growing influence in local authorities to put pressure on the NHS to stop the use of Palantir software – despite evidence it has cut waiting lists and fast-tracked cancer diagnoses.The US tech giant, which has won a total of £600 million in public-sector contracts, has been targeted by Left-wing activists for its work with Donald Trump's immigration authorities and the Israeli military.A break clause in the company's £330 million seven-year NHS contract would need to be exercised by Prime Minister Andy Burnham by the end of this year.The Greens have joined forces with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Left-wing groups such as Amnesty International to put pressure on local NHS Trusts, with Sheffield, Rotherham and East Hertfordshire councils all bringing near-identical motions against Palantir in recent months.Sheffield is run by a formal Labour-Green joint administration while East Hertfordshire District Council is run by a Green and Liberal Democrat coalition.The Rotherham motion, introduced in July, urged the council to call on the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust to pause expansion of Palantir technology. It was brought by Independent councillor Taiba Yasseen and seconded by Green councillor Mick Bower, with Labour support. Greens on Coventry City Council also forced through a motion on the council's own contract with Palantir, which is used to help social workers in the area. Zak Polanski pictured leaving the launch of the local election campaign at One Friendly Place on April 9Mr Polanski wrote to Palantir's chief executive in January demanding the firm 'pack its bags and get the hell out of the NHS'.A Palantir spokesman said: 'This activity risks denying patients access to technology that can improve the care they receive. 'Since our software has been rolled out, NHS trusts using it have recorded 110,000 additional operations, a 15 per cent reduction in discharge delays for long-stay patients, and a 6.8 per cent average improvement against the NHS's 28-day Faster Diagnosis Standard.'Palantir's UK chief executive, Louis Mosley, has previously said that the company 'should be judged on whether we are delivering for patients in this country'.Get your news delivered straight to you by 7am - sign up to our new Morning Mail newsletter for FREE