The Health Economists’ Study Group (HESG) exists to support and promote the work of health economists. It was founded in 1972 and is the oldest organisation of its type in health economics and remains one of the largest. It is based in the UK, but this does not restrict its membership and interests. The group organises two HESG meetings per year, held at different locations, at which academic and policy relevant papers are discussed. This meeting is the HESG Winter Meeting 2025. 

The meeting is intended for health economists – primarily focusing on work in progress, particularly by PhD students and early career researchers. The papers are pre-circulated so that all participants can read their work which is then discussed in hour-long sessions using discussants (another health economist) rather than author presentations.  

The range of papers reflects the current balance of work, the largest categories being economic evaluation, health outcome measurement and the finance and organisation of health care. However, every meeting has papers on other recognisably traditional economics subjects such as consumer demand, industry behaviour (particularly hospitals and pharmaceutical companies) and behaviour of the labour market. HESG welcomes people from a variety of backgrounds at our meetings, but they are intended for economists and its ‘working language’ is economics. 

The HESG Winter Meeting will take place at Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel, over three days from Wednesday 8th to Friday 10th January 2025. 

• Wednesday 8th January

12pm arrival and registration with lunch, afternoon sessions, and evening social event nearby.

Pre-conference training session is organised between 9.30 and 12pm (See below for further details, additional registration needed). 

• Thursday 9th January

 A full meeting day with refreshments and lunch and evening dinner at the same venue.  

• Friday 10th January 

Morning sessions with packed lunches provided before the conference closes at 1pm. 

Accommodation is provided in the registration fee for two nights at meeting venue (8-10th July). The first 100 bookings are guaranteed at the meeting venue, any further bookings will be provided a room in a nearby hotel.

Key Dates:

Registration opens: 2nd September 2024 

Early bird rate deadline: 25th November 2024 

Final registration deadline: 9th December 2024 

Registration Fees: 

We are pleased to offer an 'early-bird' rate for registration. This offer is available for all those booking before 25th November 2024.  

*All registration fees cover participation in the social event (8th January) and the conference dinner (9th January). 

**  The first 100 bookings are guaranteed at the meeting venue, any further bookings will be provided a room in a nearby hotel.

Abstract Submission opens: 2nd September  

Abstract submission closes: 30th September 

Notification of acceptance: 25th October 

Paper submission deadline: 2nd December

Please submit title and abstract of the proposed paper here. Abstracts should be no more than 350 words. 

Abstracts must be submitted by 11:59 pm on 30th September 2024 if you wish to have a paper considered. 

Abstracts will be available to download to delegates prior to the conference. After the conference, HESG members will be able to download papers for the meeting from here. 

The Conference will be held at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel.  

A newly renovated Grade II listed building from 1856 hosting the largest ballroom in the city centre. The hotel is just one mile from Bristol Temple Meads station. For more information, please see the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel | Hotel in Bristol - ALL (accor.com) website.

Bristol Temple Meads - Venue Map:

Broad St, Bristol BS1 2EL

ICECAP Measures: 09.30-12.00am on the 8th January 2025 

On the first day of the conference, we are holding a training session on ICECAP measures. More information about the session can be found here: HESG ICECAP training summary (Office document, 15kB). If you would like to participate in the training session, please indicate this on your form when registering for the conference. Participation has no additional charge. 

There are two bursaries available for PhD students to attend HESG. To be eligible, students must:

• have a full paper accepted to the conference
• have no other funding available to fund their attendance, as confirmed by their supervisor
• have an active HESG membership on the abstract closing date
• have not received a PhD bursary from HESG in the past

To apply for a bursary, please use this link or contact HESG directly.

The bursaries are allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, and applications must be received two weeks before the conference early bird deadline closes.

We hope to inform delegates if abstracts have been accepted by 25th October. Papers will then need to be received by 2nd December 2024.