Live data from Hacker News

How Palantir Will Steal the NHS

doctorow.medium.com

1–10 of 28 posts

Re: How Palantir Will Steal the NHS

#3
Scary stuff but unfortunately true.

Thiel is really smart. He always talk about the right to online privacy [1] and especially his own, because his gay, living in NZ, etc. But his actions and the actions of his companies tells a totally different story. Explanation: When it comes to money vs. privacy, money always wins.

[1]https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/16/opinion/peter-thiel-the-o...

Re: How Palantir Will Steal the NHS

#4
post #3

Scary stuff but unfortunately true. Thiel is really smart. He always talk about the right to online privacy [1] and especially his own, because his gay, living in NZ, etc. But his actions and the actions of his companies tells a totally different story. Explanation: When it comes to money vs. privacy, money always wins. [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/16/opinion/peter-thiel-the-o...

I don't know if he actually lives in NZ? I know he bought a high country farm and allegedly imported a premade bunker- rich Americans went through a phase of considering us a lifeboat.

Oh, and his company was denied consent to build your usual "rich guy house with a view".

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/billionaire-peter-thiels-plans...

Re: How Palantir Will Steal the NHS

#5
They can have it. It's broken anyway. Even the basics don't work anymore. My father can't get an injury looked at. After weeks he got a doctor's appointment, doctor says he needs tests at the local hospital. Local hospital doesn't pick up the phone and only has a webpage for booking appointments, said page simply says there are no appointments available. As in, permanently. Not like, no slots in the next few weeks. As in, the site won't let you book appointments at all.

The injury doesn't seem to be healing and I'm getting worried. It's not an emergency but the sort of thing that maybe can fester and get worse. They're starting to talk about going private but it seems everyone talks about that now so I'm not sure it's so easy.

Re: How Palantir Will Steal the NHS

#6
I don’t think NHS funding has ever been “cut” in the history of the service. Sure, budget has been reduced from what was promised or intended, but every year the total spent has either increased or very occasionally been static [1].

Oh, and anyone who has actually had to use the NHS, or perhaps had a relative use it, particularly at the end of their lives, will have been very quickly disavowed of the idea that it is “world class”. This is not to say a US model is desirable (the US has the worst combination of various constituent practices/rules/structures) but other models are possible. The Dutch for one.

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/health-42572110

Re: How Palantir Will Steal the NHS

#7

I don’t think NHS funding has ever been “cut” in the history of the service. Sure, budget has been reduced from what was promised or intended, but every year the total spent has either increased or very occasionally been static [1]. Oh, and anyone who has actually had to use the NHS, or perhaps had a relative use it, particularly at the end of their lives, will have been very quickly disavowed of the idea that it is…

If there is an increasing number of people (including older people) with immigration, healthy birth rates and extending lifespan, not increasing the budget at corresponding speed (let alone keeping it static) is in all ways that matter effectively cutting it.

Re: How Palantir Will Steal the NHS

#9

I don’t think NHS funding has ever been “cut” in the history of the service. Sure, budget has been reduced from what was promised or intended, but every year the total spent has either increased or very occasionally been static [1]. Oh, and anyone who has actually had to use the NHS, or perhaps had a relative use it, particularly at the end of their lives, will have been very quickly disavowed of the idea that it is…

If there is an increasing number of people (including older people) with immigration, healthy birth rates and extending lifespan, not increasing the budget at corresponding speed (let alone keeping it static) is in all ways that matter effectively cutting it.

A balanced budget doesn't matter?

Re: How Palantir Will Steal the NHS

#10

I don’t get it.. how can a mere software company be part of an elaborate and insidious plot to rob the UK public? They sell software, do not get access to the data! What’s different from any other company?

The article nicely explains this. They can buy up all competitors at inflated prices, which means they can hold the NHS hostage with its own data.
Post reply on HN