# Data Guardian urges trust to weigh in NHS platform decisions

> National Data Guardian Nicola Byrne wrote to the Department of Health and Social Care on October 9, advising that public and professional trust should carry substantial weight in decisions about the future of the NHS Federated Data Platform. The letter was published on October 12.

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- Publisher: Newsverum
- Section: Health
- Country: United Kingdom
- Published: 2026-10-13T10:04:10+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-13T10:04:10+00:00
- Event / data period: 2026-10-09
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National Data Guardian Nicola Byrne wrote to the Department of Health and Social Care on October 9, advising that public and professional trust should carry substantial weight in decisions about the future of the NHS Federated Data Platform. The letter was published on October 12. Byrne advised that decisions should draw on clear evidence about benefits and limitations, remain open to challenge and local concerns, and address interoperability and vendor lock-in.

Her letter does not recommend a specific contract outcome and says open standards and open-source technology should be considered.

## Data

### Announcement

The National Data Guardian sent advice on trust and the future of the NHS Federated Data Platform.

Methodology: The event date is the letter date, October 9; the government page carrying it was published October 12.

| date | label | description | status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-09 | Data Guardian urges trust to weigh in NHS platform decisions | The National Data Guardian sent advice on trust and the future of the NHS Federated Data Platform. | occurred |

Sources: <https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ndg-advises-minister-on-public-and-professional-trust-in-the-fdp> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/national-data-guardian-advises-on-nhs-fdp-trust-october-2026/data/policy-event?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/national-data-guardian-advises-on-nhs-fdp-trust-october-2026/data/policy-event?lang=en&format=csv)

### Main areas of NDG advice

Decision and technology considerations in the letter dated October 9.

Methodology: Rows summarise the letter’s three areas of advice while preserving their meaning.

| Area of advice |
|---|
| Give public and professional trust substantial weight |
| Use clear evidence and transparent evaluation |
| Address interoperability, vendor lock-in and data sovereignty |

Sources: <https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ndg-advises-minister-on-public-and-professional-trust-in-the-fdp> · Download data: [JSON](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/national-data-guardian-advises-on-nhs-fdp-trust-october-2026/data/ndg-advice-areas?lang=en&format=json) · [CSV](https://newsverum.com/api/v1/articles/national-data-guardian-advises-on-nhs-fdp-trust-october-2026/data/ndg-advice-areas?lang=en&format=csv)

## Sources

- [National Data Guardian for Health and Social Care](<https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ndg-advises-minister-on-public-and-professional-trust-in-the-fdp>) (Source checked: 2026-10-13; Published: 2026-10-12)

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