The Health Economics Unit

What The Health Economics Unit does

The Health Economics Unit (HEU) is an NHS consultancy team hosted within the NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU), launched in October 2020. It provides health-economics analytics, evaluation, and population-health-management advisory services to NHS organisations (NHS England, ICSs, ICBs, NHS Trusts), national programmes (the New Hospital Programme), international bodies (World Bank, WHO, Polish Health Ministry, India National Health Authority), pharmaceutical and medtech firms (Bayer, Daiichi-Sankyo, Pfizer/BMS Alliance), and charities (Leukaemia UK, Marie Curie, Nuffield Trust). Its core service lines are evaluation of care pathways and interventions, population health management analytics using the proprietary STAR (Socio-technical Allocation of Resource) allocative-efficiency method, economic evaluations, demand and capacity modelling, and capability-building training.

Technically, HEU's differentiators are methodological rather than productised. The team uses causal inference and Bayesian Networks in R (bnlearn package) for population health modelling, machine learning and NLP for evidence generation, and CPRD-linked primary and secondary care data for longitudinal analysis. Notable deliverable assets include the Atrial Fibrillation Budget Impact Model and AF Toolkit (delivered for Health Innovation North West Coast), an interactive Doc Abode ROI evaluation tool (built for FCMS), the AML diagnostic delay framework (for Leukaemia UK), and the Smarter Spending in Population Health (SSPH) programme delivered across five ICSs. The unit facilitates access to integrated NHS datasets such as the Kent Integrated Dataset, which covers more than two million people and 240 GP practices and has been used to calibrate £28bn of national NHS funding.

HEU's business model is professional services within the UK public sector. The unit operates as a commissioning-support entity funded through NHS procurement frameworks and direct engagement with NHS bodies, supplemented by industry-sponsored evaluation work (with explicit content-independence firewalls) and paid international knowledge-sharing engagements. Headcount is small (approximately 16 named professionals spanning Director, Chief Analyst, Head of Economics, Lead Health Economist, Lead Data Scientist, Senior Econometrician, Senior Consultant, and analysts), distributed across the UK under an agile/remote model. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the unit advertises multi-year NHS-commissioned contracts and Band 7/8A roles via NHS Jobs and Health Jobs UK.

Name

The Health Economics Unit

Legal name

Health Economics Unit

Website

https://healtheconomicsunit.nhs.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Health Economics Unit (HEU) is an NHS consultancy team within MLCSU that delivers health economics, population health management analytics, and evaluation services to NHS organisations, international bodies, and pharma clients, using causal inference, Bayesian networks, and the proprietary STAR allocative-efficiency method.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Economics Consulting

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Economics & Outcomes Research (HEOR) (HLAIAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cost of Care, Spend Analytics & Financial Performance Management (HLACAHAJ), Health Data, Vital Statistics & Population Health Informatics (BPAIAJAM)

Keywords

• Health economics consulting
• Population health analytics
• Economic evaluation services
• Health technology assessment
• NHS commissioning support

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. NHS Commissioning Support Unit Funding: Operates as an NHS consultancy team within the NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU). Revenue derived from commissioned work from NHS organisations (ICSs, ICBs, NHS Trusts, NHS England) and wider public sector clients. Services include evaluation, analytics, consultancy, and training.
2. Industry and International Advisory: Delivers paid consultancy and knowledge-sharing workshops for international bodies (World Bank, WHO, Polish Health Ministry, Indian National Health Authority), pharmaceutical companies (Bayer, Daiichi-Sankyo, Pfizer/BMS Alliance), medtech companies, and academia. Sponsored research and industry-funded evaluations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HEU is an NHS consultancy team that delivers health economics, population health management analytics, economic evaluation, and training services to NHS organisations, pharmaceutical and medtech companies, international bodies, and charities. Its work combines rigorous health economics with advanced data science (machine learning, causal inference, Bayesian networks) and includes the proprietary STAR allocative efficiency method applied across COPD, atrial fibrillation, and other care pathways.

Product overview

The Health Economics Unit is an NHS consultancy offering specialist health economics and analytics services. Their portfolio includes four core service areas: Evaluation Service (assessing care pathways and interventions), Population Health Management Analytics and Support (using allocative efficiency techniques), Economic Evaluations, Demand and Capacity Modelling (using ML, data science, and causal inference), and Consultancy Services (training and quality assurance). Key programme offerings include the Smarter Spending in Population Health (SSPH) Programme using the STAR allocative efficiency method. Their analytical tools include the AF Budget Impact Model and AF Toolkit for atrial fibrillation management, and interactive ROI tools for evaluating digital health solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Evaluation Service

Quantifiable outcome

• £1.7 million annual NHS savings from reducing leukaemia diagnostic delays; ~4,100 fewer healthcare contacts per year
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• World Bank GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025HEU hosted a three-day expert knowledge-sharing visit with the World Bank Group and India's National Health Authority. HEU brought together NHS and care experts from across England to share insights on using data to improve decision making. Delegates also visited Liverpool's Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL) and Alder Hey Innovation Centre.
• India National Health AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Part of World Bank delegation visiting HEU for international knowledge sharing on NHS digital transformation, data-driven decision making, and population health management approaches.
• Polish Health Ministry and National Health Fund (NFZ)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021HEU organised NHS expert speakers from MLCSU, National Casemix Office, Imperial College Healthcare Trust, King's Fund, and Nuffield Trust to deliver workshops on hospital payment systems and tariffs for the Polish Health Ministry and NFZ.
• NHS EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEU operates with NHS England as a key partner, delivering national programmes including data linkage workshops, impactibility model workshops, the New Hospital Programme, and providing senior advisory expertise. Andi Orlowski is Senior Advisor for NHS England.
• Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL), LiverpoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHIL partnered with HEU during the World Bank knowledge-sharing visit. CHIL presented on the Civic Data Cooperative model, digital governance frameworks, and the transformation of Learning Health Systems to Civic Learning Systems.
• Alder Hey Innovation CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlder Hey Innovation Centre was part of the World Bank delegation's visit alongside HEU. Presented on digital health innovation and paediatric healthcare transformation.
• NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MLCSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEU is hosted within MLCSU, operating as an NHS consultancy unit within this NHS support organisation. MLCSU includes the Strategy Unit and Midlands Decision Support Network, with which HEU collaborates on programmes including SSPH and INSIGHT events.
• Strategy Unit (MLCSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEU collaborates with the Strategy Unit on the Smarter Spending in Population Health (SSPH) programme, the New Hospital Programme, and the INSIGHT festival. Joint appointments and shared expertise strengthen analytical capability across both units.
• Midlands Decision Support NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned the SSPH programme delivered by HEU across five ICSs. Partnership involves decision conferences, analytics, and STAR allocative efficiency methodology applied to COPD pathways.
• Kent Integrated Dataset (KID) Partnership (Kent County Council, University of Kent, East Kent Hospitals NHS FT)coreTechnology or IntegrationHEU facilitates researcher access to KID, one of the UK's largest integrated health and care databases covering 2M+ people. HEU helps refine access applications, check data feasibility, and analyse linked datasets across health and social care within the HSCN safe-haven.
• Association of Professional Healthcare Analysts (AphA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEU Director Andi Orlowski served as AphA President (2022). HEU collaborates with AphA on workshops (data linkage, impactibility) and professional development. AphA analysts are key contributors to HEU-led initiatives.
• NHS England - National Commissioning Data Repository (NCDR)coreTechnology or IntegrationImpactibility model developed by HEU in partnership with NHS England for use with the NCDR dataset. Data linkage guide published by NHS England informed by HEU research.
• Imperial College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndi Orlowski is pursuing a PhD at Imperial College London. HEU collaborates with Imperial on academic publications (data linkage paper with University of Bradford, impactibility model publication). Shared expertise in health economics and data science.
• University of BradfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOutputs from NHS England-commissioned data linkage workshops to be published as a scientific paper with the University of Bradford. Workshop contributors named as collaborators.
• Health FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelissa Co previously worked at the Health Foundation where she worked on evaluations of NHS programmes and policy analyses. HEU maintains connections through shared focus on healthcare analytics and population health.
• DataKind UKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMelissa Co volunteers with DataKind UK, a charity working with third sector organisations to better use data and data science to increase their impact.
• Bayer, Daiichi-Sankyo, Pfizer/BMS AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry sponsors of the AF Budget Impact Model. Companies had no input into the content or data of the model. Sponsorship enabled development of the AF Toolkit which secured £300k+ further industry investment.
• Innovation Agency (AHSN North West Coast)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Innovation Agency commissioned HEU to evaluate Doc Abode for out-of-hours GP services, part of the AHSN Network's work to accelerate health innovation across the North West Coast.
• Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatt Oakes, Head of Intelligence and Analytics at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, presented at the World Bank knowledge-sharing event hosted by HEU on the NHS Federated Data Platform and hospital digital scaling.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisha Mitra previously worked at BCG in health strategy and analytics consulting on UK and international projects. HEU benefits from this consulting background in delivering client engagements.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Health Foundation: Independent health charity funding research and analytics on NHS performance and population health. Melissa Co joined HEU from The Health Foundation, evidencing close talent and methodological overlap.
• Nuffield Trust: Independent health research and policy institute analysing NHS performance, data and economics. Co-collaborator with HEU on Marie Curie end-of-life analysis and a peer in NHS health economics research.
• The King's Fund: Independent health policy think tank producing influential NHS analytics, policy analysis and leadership development. Overlaps with HEU on health economics thought leadership, NHS-R and PHM education.

Direct peers

• Candesic: Boutique healthcare consultancy providing health economics, commercial due diligence and strategy advice to NHS, private providers and investors. Comparable mid-sized competitor in UK health economics advisory.
• NECS (North of England Commissioning Support): NHS commissioning support unit providing population health analytics, health economics and evaluation services to NHS organisations in the North of England — a near-identical operating model to HEU inside a different CSU.
• The Strategy Unit (NHS MLCSU): Sibling consultancy within the same NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit as HEU. Delivers analytics, evaluation and PHM programmes for NHS clients; co-delivers SSPH and INSIGHT events with HEU, making it the closest direct peer.
• Edge Health: Healthcare analytics and economics consultancy serving NHS and life-sciences clients with demand modelling, evaluation and PHM services — directly overlapping HEU's service portfolio.
• Carnall Farrar: Specialist UK healthcare consultancy focused on NHS strategy, analytics, population health and value-based care. Competes with HEU on PHM, evaluation and ICS-level analytics commissions.
• Arden & GEM Commissioning Support Unit: NHS commissioning support unit delivering health economics, analytics and transformation support to commissioners and providers. Competes with HEU for the same NHS commissioning mandates across England.

Broad incumbents

• Newton (Accenture): Operations and analytics consultancy (now part of Accenture) with a substantial NHS health-economics and improvement practice. Competes with HEU on larger ICS, trust and national transformation mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/economics_unit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/health-economics-unit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Health Economics Unit