The NHS has partnered with Multiverse, an edtech firm, and tech giant Palantir to upskill its staff in AI and data.

The two tech firms will help health staff in their adoption and use of the NHS Federated Data Platform, which is supplied by Palantir.

The data platform connects data is a centralised platform that takes information from different separate systems allowing staff faster access to patient data. Palantir claims that the platform can optimise patient care across the 77 NHS Trusts that are using the service.

Multiverse has signed onto the partnership to support the digital skills training of NHS staff. Founded and run by Euan Blair, the son of former prime minister Tony Blair, Mutliverse achieved ‘unicorn’ status in 2022, but has faced continuous yearly losses since being founded in 2016.

The apprenticeship company will work with Palantir to outfit a range of apprenticeship programmes centred on the NHS data platform, with the earliest cohorts set for this coming February.

Within the NHS, roles targeted for skills training will include clinical staff, analysts, administrators and managers.

“The NHS FDP is already improving care for patients while cutting paperwork for doctors and nurses,” executive vice president for UK and Europe at Palantir, Louis Mosley, said.

“Now we need to double down on training to keep driving up the number of NHS staff who are trained on the technology – and this partnership will be central to that.”

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Palantir continues to gain government contracts despite controversy surrounding its company practices and its cofounder, Peter Theil.

The firm’s AI tech is used in surveillance and military operations, supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the US, as well as supporting the Israeli military in the genocide in Gaza.

Palantir has also been contracted by several police authorities in England to carry out surveillance campaigns, according to I and Liberty Investigates.

Peter Theil, who was a PayPal cofounder as well as of Palantir, has been an early supporter of US President Donald Trump, and has since won many US government contracts since his election.