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Meanwhile smart plasters, such as those developed by TOUMAZ (TMZ), are stuck to the body so that tiny sensors can monitor vital signs such as pulse and heart rate. The data is sent wirelessly to a remote station where it can be monitored by a nurse. A problem with these systems is that they do require the co-operation of patients, which is not always forthcoming.

You could be your own doctor But while these represent ways of making administration more efficient, technology can also radically alter our approach to healthcare. There are high hopes for remote patient monitoring. A range of devices are now available that enable a patient to monitor his own condition and then send this to his doctor.

CRANEWARE (CRW) has made a highly successful business by simplifying the production of treatment invoices in the United States. Patient records are another focus of health authorities. It has proved rather difficult for the NHS to convert its paper patient records to digital format. This should have been a relatively straightforward task. But the future is surely electronic records, where they are accessible anytime, anywhere – including, for example, via your doctor’s laptop when he pays you a visit.

Positive Points: Group profits materialised at the higher end of analyst forecasts. Profits were driven by a 13% rise in E&P operating profit to $1.3 billion and a continued robust performance of the Liquefied Natural Gas business, where operating profit rose by 24% to $767 million. Accompanying management comments noted that "BG Group produced strong third quarter financial results across the business. We achieved good cost and schedule performance on key projects in Australia and Brazil." In Brazil, drilling momentum continues with up to 11 drilling rigs operating simultaneously. Drilling costs, which account for some 50% of project capital expenditure, have continued to fall as average drilling durations this year have fallen to 75 days. BG Group is due to bring huge projects in Australia and Brazil onstream in the next three years. A programme to rationalise its portfolio remains ongoing. The Chief Executive noted that “our agreement today to sell an interest in part of the QCLNG project means that we have now completed or reached asset sales agreements that should release a total of $7.6 billion of capital by mid-2013, with a material benefit to the group's balance sheet." Group production grew by 5% during the period. A progressive dividend policy continues to be pursued. The interim dividend saw an increase of 10%.

Negative Points: The board cut its production forecast for 2013. Volumes in 2013 are now expected to be broadly in line with 2012, as opposed to previous growth forecast. A series of delays in relation to projects in the North Sea, Brazil, Egypt, along with a scaling back of activities in US shale gas, were all highlighted. The group previously announced that it would take a $1.3 billion impairment charge against its shale gas business in the United States. Concerns regarding the group's balance sheet strength have been expressed by some analysts. Delays in bringing projects to production could impact. "Any project slippage would risk a credit rating downgrade" noted an analyst at a major investment bank back in July. The current Chief Executive is due to retire sometime during 2013. He has led company growth since 2000. BG's profits are sensitive to changes in oil and natural gas prices, which can fluctuate significantly as a result of economic and geopolitical forces. The group may face changing political implications as it increases its global reach. BG maintains key positions in Australia, Brazil and Tanzania.

Financial Highlights: Group revenue and other operating income increased by 4% to $5.59 billion. Earnings for the third quarter increased 16% to $1.2 billion. The company's production rose by 5% during the period.

Third quarter update: BG cuts its production forecast. While group profits materialised at the higher end of analyst forecasts, management comments highlighting expectations for production volumes in 2013 to now remain broadly the same as 2012 impacted the share price hard - down over 14% in early trade. A series of delays in relation to projects in the North Sea, Brazil, Egypt, along with a scaling back of activities in US shale gas, were all highlighted. Production shutdowns and low natural gas prices had both contributed. In addition to the results, management also announced that the group had signed a heads of agreement with China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) for the sale of certain interests in the Queensland Curtis Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) project in Australia for $1.93 billion and the sale of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from BG's global LNG portfolio. Management noted that "we have now completed or reached asset sales agreements that should release a total of $7.6 billion of capital by mid-2013, with a material benefit to the group's balance sheet." In all, whilst growth projects such as those in Brazil and Australia have helped underwrite positive analyst opinion, today’s cuts to production expectations comes as a major disappointment

Company overview BG Group (the former British Gas company minus the retail distribution arm Centrica) conducts its business via three key divisions: 1) Exploration and Production of both gas and oil. 2) Liquefied Natural Gas - the management of export and import plants 3) Transmission and Distribution - the division is the operator of major pipelines and distribution networks to industry. A previous fourth division - Power Generation – has recently (September 2010) seen the majority of its operations sold, with remaining units allocated to other group divisions. Gas accounts for approximately 70pc of overall group volumes, while oil and liquids represent the remaining 10 pc and 20 pc respectively.

"The acquisition is important to Pru given that it doubles its business in Thailand where insurance penetration at 2.7% is still very low. South-East Asia is Pru's growth Asian growth engine and we view the acquisition as strategically significant in that it fills an important gap," he said.

Prudential announced yesterday that it had entered into a long-term exclusive bancassurance partnership with Thai firm Thanachart Bark, which will see Pru buy the Thanachart Life Assurance Company from Thanachart, the fifth-largest retail bank in Thailand, for £358m in cash. Analyst Barrie Cornes said yesterday that this is a good deal for Pru as it improves its already strong and profitable presence in South-East Asia.

Life insurers were performing well on Tuesday afternoon with a host of heavy-hitters on the FTSE 350 providing a lift. Resolution was the standout performer in the sector today after Bank of America Merrill Lynch raised its rating on the stock from 'neutral' to 'buy'. The US broker cited an attractive dividend yield as one of the reasons behind the move. Shares were up 8.03% at 238.97p an hour before the close of trade.

However, these organisational changes will have a one-off impact this year, estimated at £10m (including £3.5m of property related provisions). The company describes this as part of an on-going process that will have delivered £55m of annualised savings over the three-year period to the end of 2012. One bright spot was that there appears to be good visibility of earnings with the forward order book currently standing at £3.0bn with a further £0.7bn of projects at preferred bidder stage (compared with £3.4bn order book and £0.3bn of projects at preferred bidder stage at the start of 2012). In addition, in line with the company's strategy to increase its focus on regeneration, the regeneration pipeline has strengthened significantly to £2.1bn with a further £1.1bn of major schemes at preferred bidder stage (compared with a £1.8bn pipeline and £0.6bn of schemes at preferred developer stage at the start of 2012).

Morgan Sindall's Chief Executive, Paul Smith, has resigned following a profits warning. Stepping into the breach, Executive Chairman, John Morgan, has been appointed Chief Executive. In a trading update the construction company warned that: "Our underlying trading for the current year is expected to be slightly below the board's previous expectations although the group will benefit from the £7m gain made on the sale of our medical property investments this year. This gain will in part offset the £10m restructuring charge that will be incurred this year." Consensus expectations for the full year ending December 31st had been for pre-tax profits of £42.30m on turnover of £2.09bn. The company spoke of further market deterioration in the UK construction industry since it announced its interims. It blamed on further reductions in public spending, deferred investment decisions and high levels of competition. In response the Morgan Sindall is cutting costs, re-organising its network of offices delivering construction and its affordable housing business

Autoclenz has agreed to sell its operating companies for four million pounds to a company controlled by its existing Chief Executive and Financial Director and external investors. The existing company will become a cash shell with £3m in cash and £1m loan note, that will be repaid with interest within three years. The total consideration equates to approximately 38.5p a share. In effect Autoclenz will then become an investing company. James Leek, Non-Executive Chairman, Autoclenz, commented: "Together with our advisors we shall now seek to acquire within this well-funded, clean Aim-listed shell company a high growth business with a view to further increasing shareholder value." A total of 46.85% of shareholders have already agreed to the deal and so, given, that only a simply majority is required to pass the proposal, it looks like a done deal.

Broker commentEd Steele, Analyst at Citigoup, has a 'buy' rating on G4S with a target price of 300p. He commented: "With the shares trading at a 15% valuation discount to the wider Business Services sector (10.7 times 2012 estimated EV/EBITA [enterprise value/earnings before interest, tax and amortisation] verses the sector at 12.6 times)

To September 30th ,overall organic growth was good at 5.5% (8% including the London 2012 contract), with 9% in developing markets and 4% (8% including the London 2012 contract) in developed markets. Breaking this down by divisions: • In secure solutions, organic growth was 6% (9% including the London 2012 contract), despite an 11% decline in the US classified government business. Overall, growth was helped by a continued strong performance in developing markets, UK government and North America commercial businesses. • In cash solutions, organic growth was 3% overall. Developing markets grew 10% and developed markets were broadly flat. Organic growth in developed markets is expected to improve as new contract wins in the UK come onboard fully. During the first nine months of the year, it also invested £8m in deferred consideration in respect of prior year acquisitions and £95m in capability-building acquisitions such as a leading security provider in Braz

Overall the group margin was down 0.3% (excluding the London 2012 contract) on a constant currency basis, due to contract phasing in the UK government businesses and US government budgetary cuts. Cash solutions margins were broadly in line with the same period as last year, with a stronger performance in the cash solutions businesses in most developing markets. The company explained that the US government market and some Continental European markets are still proving to be difficult and it expects these trends to continue. The North American commercial businesses are continuing to perform strongly and the UK has shown an improved performance. Its developing markets businesses, which account for more than a third of group profits, continue to achieve strong results. It also stated that: "Our restructuring measures taken in 2012 to reduce overhead costs and continued focus on business improvement should help margins improve in 2013."

G4S, the security firm, has delivered an upbeat trading statement for the nine months to September 30th, despite reiterating that it will take a 50m-pound hit from the Olympic fiasco and hinting that this figure may be revised. It has stated that its financial position continues to be strong and it "remains on track to meet its cash conversion target of 85% of PBITA [profit before interest, tax and amortisation] for the full year." Regarding its provision for the Olympics it said: "Our current estimate remains that the loss on the London 2012 contract will be in the region of £50m and this amount was provided for at the half year and taken as an exceptional item. This estimate is based on our current expectation of the financial outcome including reasonable estimates of costs where at this date there is still uncertainty." In the first nine months of 2012, overall revenues compared to the same period last year, excluding the London 2012 contract, grew by 6.3% at constant exchange rates and by 4.1% at actual exchange rates. Including the London 2012 contract, revenues grew by 9.2% at constant rates and by 6.9% at actual exchange rates. As expected, the group operating margin was lower compared to the same period in 2011.

Occupancy across CSC's centres in the third quarter edged up to 96% from 95% in the preceding quarter. Retailers going belly-up remains a problem, but the group successfully re-let the majority of the 131 units affected by tenant failures, but 48 units, accounting for 2% of the rent roll, still remain closed in the hands of administrators. At the end of September net external debt had increased marginally to £3.5bn and the net debt to assets ratio based on June 30th valuations was 49.5%. On a pro forma basis, were the convertible bonds to convert into equity, the net debt to assets ratio would reduce to 45%, the group disclosed

Property group Capital Shopping Centres outperformed the market as the number of shoppers visiting its shopping centres, such as The Trafford Centre and Lakeside, rose for the second quarter in a row. "Our prime UK shopping centres have recorded positive momentum with steady footfall figures and the opening of 60 new stores and restaurants in the period," revealed David Fichel, Chief Executive Of Capital Shopping Centres Group (CSC), in an interim management statement covering the three months to the end of September. "We continue to make good progress on our pipeline of active management projects and extensions which will ensure that our centres continue to provide attractive destinations to consumers and retailers for the long term," he added. Despite a second consecutive quarterly increase in footfall - customer visits - in the three months to the end of September, CSC's footfall in the first nine months of 2012 is still 1% below the corresponding period of 2011. However, based on figures provided by business information group Experian, that's a market-beating performance, as footfall across the UK is down 3% year-on-year.