There’s no business like l’eau business, but is it all just an expensive con? July 3, 2008 As more bottled water comes on the market, can anyone tell the difference? A time comes in the life of any product that it goes from being naff, to being promoted by a Beckham. Last week a story emerged – was it leaked, perhaps? – that David B, the model and sometime footballer, is to [...]
It pays to be aware when the pressure is on July 2, 2008 Managers need to take care of stressed staff — especially now, writes Jeremy Hazlehurst When times are hard in the markets, it’s easy to forget sometimes that it’s not only the bottom line that suffers. Managers also ought to be aware that their human capital can feel the pinch as well. As the FTSE has [...]
NHS told to refocus on quality of care July 1, 2008 The quality of a patient’s care will become the central focus of the National Health Service in England, with hospitals and careteams rewarded for achieving high standards. Patients will be given a new legal right to choose their GP practice and the kind of treatment they will receive under a draft NHS constitution, launched on [...]
Smoking ban set to close 6,000 pubs July 1, 2008 More than 6,000 British pubs may be forced to close in the next five years thanks largely to the smoking ban, accountants and business advisers PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) warned yesterday. A PwC report published a year after the introduction of the ban on lighting up in a public place reveals the devastating impact it is having [...]
Profits crash at Southern Cross nursing July 1, 2008 Southern Cross Healthcare Group, the nursing home operator, shocked the City yesterday with a profits warning along with the departure of its finance director. Southern Cross, whose shares closed down 58.5 per cent at 130p, said occupancy levels at its homes had not grown by as much as it originally expected and trading was unlikely [...]
To have and to fold November 3, 2005 Ben Laurance meets Andrew Ritchie, the Brompton founder who has created a manufacturing rarity – a flourishing British engineering firm that exports 60 per cent of what it makes You see them nestling behind seats on trains. You see them behind desks in offices across the capital. Above all, you see them on the roads, [...]
Stressbusters November 1, 2005 Stress is the invisible killer and we need to find ways to manage it or suffer the consequences. The Government is so concerned about the endemic that it has designated tomorrow National Stress Awareness Day. Britain workforce is suffering from a stress endemic that is so serious in some sectors that the Government’s Health and [...]
Beauty fixes to turn back the clock October 25, 2005 Horrific tales of botched cosmetic surgery might put some people off going under the knife. But there are now procedures available which claim to offer similar youthful benefits without resorting to such extreme measures. In Britain the popularity of cosmetic surgery continues to grow. Aside from the medical risk that these invasive procedures pose — [...]