In a 2017 study for a South England CCG study of the business case for preventative work with alcohol addiction, Neil worked as the lead analyst.

He drew on longitudinal data on hospital activity of patients in a southern England locality, to assess using statistical regression analysis the extent to which patients with alcohol-related problems over an initial 18 month period tended to incur further problems over a next 18 months.

The results were used to draw up a business case for strengthened preventative work, and to provide a predictive risk model that highlighted a suitable cohort of clients for such work.