What does a Health Economist do?

Health Economists analyse healthcare systems, polices and technologies to help make sure financial decisions are fair and evidence based.

In this blog, Issy Ricca-McCarthy, Health Economist at Genomics England, explains more about the role and why her work is important in genomics.

My role as a Health Economist

As a Health Economist at Genomics England, my role is to understand and demonstrate the value that genomic medicine brings to patients, the NHS, and wider society.

A large part of my work involves building and maintaining economic models. These models help us to understand the costs and benefits of genomic programmes, so that we can estimate their impact across healthcare and the wider economy. To do this, I combine internal Genomics England data, published NHS data, as well as evidence from research papers.

My role also involves working closely with colleagues across the organisation, gathering evidence that supports investment decisions and programme design. A typical day might involve analysing data, reviewing scientific literature, presenting findings to stakeholders or discussing new ideas with other teams.

Ultimately, my role is about bringing together data, evidence and analysis to understand the impact of genomic medicine and support the development of future genomic services.

How did I end up here?

 I studied mathematics at university, and, like many people, I didn't follow a straightforward path into my current career.

My first role was as an analyst evaluating healthcare innovation programmes. This role gave me exposure to a wide range of analytical approaches, and it was there that I discovered the field of health economics.

I realised how much I enjoyed combining analytical problem-solving with questions that could directly influence healthcare decisions.

After taking some time out to travel, I decided to specialise further and focus exclusively on health economics. I moved into pharmaceutical consulting, where I worked on projects ranging from health technology assessments for NICE, to economic models used internationally across a variety of disease areas, including chronic kidney disease, HIV and cancer.

It was after this that I joined Genomics England, where I now work on programme-wide economic evaluations.

Advances in genomic medicine are creating new opportunities to diagnose, prevent and treat disease, and it's exciting to work in a field that has the potential to transform healthcare in the years ahead.

What impact do Health Economists have?

The impact of my work is often indirect, but it's an important part of helping genomics to deliver the greatest possible impact for patients and participants.

By bringing together evidence on costs, outcomes and long-term impact, we can support decisions about which services to invest in, how they should be delivered, and where resources can make the biggest difference.

My work also supports the design and development of genomic programmes. By understanding the potential impact of different approaches, we can help design services that maximise benefits for patients while ensuring they can be delivered sustainably across the NHS.

In the long term, this helps build the evidence needed to support wider access to genomic medicine and ensures that new genomic technologies can benefit as many people as possible.

What makes me passionate about my role?

Health economics allows me to use the mathematical and problem-solving skills I developed during my degree, while working on projects that have a real-world impact. Every project is different, which means there are always new challenges to tackle and new things to learn.

I particularly enjoy building economic models from the ground up and following them through the entire process. From the initial design and evidence gathering, through to the final results. I find it rewarding to take a complex problem, bring together evidence from multiple sources, and develop a clearer understanding of the potential impact of an intervention.

I also enjoy the collaborative nature of the role. Health economics sits at the intersection of clinical evidence, healthcare, policy and data, so I regularly work with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines. Bringing together different perspectives to solve complex problems is one of the most interesting parts of the job.

Looking ahead...

At the moment, I am working on the Outline Business Case for the upcoming Adult Population Genomics Programme. This involves collaborating with clinicians, technical experts and other colleagues as the programme develops, helping to assess its potential impact and value.

I'm also updating our health economic model for the Generation Study. As new evidence becomes available through published research and the study itself, we can refine our assumptions and improve our understanding of the programme's potential benefits.

Looking ahead, I'd like to continue developing both my communication and leadership skills. I'm particularly interested in influencing strategy, building partnerships across different disciplines, and helping shape how genomic medicine is embedded into routine healthcare in the future.

If you want to learn more about the work happening at Genomics England, check out our other blogs. You can also visit our careers page.