NHS cash crisis drags Footsie down

The London market was on the slide today as investors deserted mining companies and the cash crisis in the NHS took its toll on medical devices maker Smith & Nephew.

The FTSE 100 Index fell nearly 1% or 44.3 points to 6060 while the FTSE 250 Index fell back from last night’s all-time high of near 10,000 to 9925.6.