RSM advised on deal for Spark Medical and Medi 4 Ambulance Services
Spark Medical and Medi 4 Ambulance Services operate across the UK(Image: PA)
Hundreds of jobs at a cash-strapped ambulance services group have been saved after a pre-pack deal.
RSM advised on the deal to rescue the operations of Spark Medical and Medi 4 Ambulance Services, which will save more than 375 jobs and secure the services the companies provide to the NHS.
Spark Medical, based in Bromborough, Wirral, provides independent ambulance services and event medical cover across the UK. It employs 97 directly, alongside many subcontractors, and operates up to 50 medical vehicles a day.
Last August, Spark Medical bought West Sussex-based Medi 4 Ambulance Services, which offers patient transport services across the south of the UK.
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RSM said: “The combined business has recently faced increased cost commitments and ongoing capital expenditure alongside a reduction in revenue, creating pressures on cash flow.”
That led to a creditors’ administration application on January 19, with Lee Lockwood and James Miller of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory serving as proposed administrators.
They identified a buyer for the two businesses and completed the pre-pack sale on February 6. The buyer has not yet been named, and BusinessLive has contacted RSM for more information.
Lee Lockwood, restructuring advisory partner at RSM said: “The pre-pack sale of Spark Medical Limited and Medi 4 Ambulance Services Limited ensures the continued operations of a large NHS supplier.
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“The deal carries significant implications in terms of maintaining public health services and the resilience of local health services, as well as a substantial number of jobs. It marks a positive outcome for the business, its employees and subcontractors and the wider community.”
The most recent abridged accounts for Spark Medical, for the year to March 2024, show the company reported fixed assets of £2.2m, up from £1.9m the year before. Shareholders funds stood at £911k, down from £965k the year before.
The Companies House profile for Spark Medical, not yet updated to reflect the pre-pack deal, shows a Trafford Park company called “Forbidden Festival Europe Master Ltd” had “significant control” over Spark Medical.
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Australia opened their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a ruthless 67‑run victory over Ireland, combining a muscular batting display with a suffocating bowling performance to underline their title credentials in Group B.
(VIDEO) Australia Thrash Ireland by 67 Runs in Colombo to Launch T20 World Cup Campaign in Style
Sent in to bat after stand‑in captain Travis Head won the toss at the R. Premadasa Stadium, Australia posted an imposing 182 for 6 before skittling Ireland for just 115 in 16.5 overs. The result not only delivered two points but also handed Australia a hefty early boost to their net run rate in a group where every decimal could prove crucial.
Stoinis and Inglis power Australia to 182
Australia’s innings began in chaotic fashion when Head, leading the side in the absence of the injured Mitchell Marsh, was run out for 6 after a mix‑up with opening partner Josh Inglis. Inglis had already survived a chance — dropped at point — and capitalised on his reprieve with an aggressive, counter‑punching cameo.
Inglis and Cameron Green quickly wrested back momentum from Ireland. The pair kept the powerplay run rate above 10 an over, mixing clean hitting down the ground with sharp running between the wickets. Green raced to 21 off 11 balls before miscuing to mid‑wicket, but by then Australia had 64 on the board at the end of six overs, with the Irish seamers struggling for control on a placid surface.
Inglis continued to attack, racing to 37 off just 17 balls with a flurry of boundaries through point and over extra cover. His dismissal, holing out after earlier striking George Dockrell for four, briefly checked Australia’s charge, and a quiet middle phase followed as new batsmen adjusted to a pitch that began to slow and grip.
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Matt Renshaw and Marcus Stoinis then rebuilt the innings in a decisive fifth‑wicket stand worth 61. Renshaw played the anchor role with 37 from 33 balls, rotating the strike and allowing Stoinis to dictate terms. Stoinis, who top‑scored with 45 from 29 deliveries, picked his moments to accelerate, driving powerfully down the ground and muscling a six over mid‑wicket while still collecting the majority of his runs in hard‑run ones and twos.
Glenn Maxwell’s brief stay offered flashes of intent without a big payoff, but Australia’s refusal to panic after losing early wickets meant they always had a platform to launch from. Late nudges and hustled doubles in the final overs ensured Australia reached 182, a total that looked slightly above par once the ball began to hold in the surface.
For Ireland, Mark Adair and Barry McCarthy fought hard in the death overs to prevent a 190‑plus score, but the damage from the powerplay and the Stoinis‑Renshaw partnership left them facing a daunting chase.
Ellis and Zampa rip through Ireland
Ireland’s reply unravelled almost immediately. Captain Paul Stirling, their most experienced and explosive batter, retired hurt for 1 in the opening over after what appeared to be a hamstring issue, dealing a psychological blow to a side already up against it.
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Australian seamer Nathan Ellis took full advantage of the unsettled top order. Renowned for his clever changes of pace and skiddy trajectory, Ellis struck twice inside the first few overs, removing both set batters and exposing Ireland’s middle order before they could settle. By the end of the powerplay, Ireland had slumped to 40 for 4, their chase effectively in ruins.
Curtis Campher (4), Benjamin Calitz (2) and Gareth Delany (11) all fell cheaply during a brutal collapse that left Ireland tottering at 43 for 5 by the seventh over. Any hopes of a miracle hinged on wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker and all‑rounder George Dockrell, who mounted the only meaningful resistance of the innings.
The pair added 46 for the sixth wicket, with Dockrell in particular showing composure and intent. He compiled a spirited 41 off 29 balls, finding gaps and punishing anything short or wide. Tucker supported with 24 as the duo briefly quieted the Australian fielders and forced Travis Head to juggle his bowling options.
But Adam Zampa, who had been held back specifically for the middle overs, quickly reasserted Australia’s control. The leg‑spinner broke the stand by removing Tucker, drawing him into a miscued stroke. Once that partnership ended, Ireland’s lower order crumbled.
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Zampa and Ellis then turned the screw in tandem. Zampa’s drifting leg‑breaks and sharp googlies dismantled the middle order, while Ellis continued to choke off scoring opportunities with a mix of cutters and yorkers. Both bowlers finished with identical figures of four wickets apiece, underlining their dominance and leaving Ireland shot out for 115 with more than three overs unused.
Dockrell was the last semblance of resistance before the tail fell away, underscoring how little support Ireland’s top order offered in the face of Australia’s relentless attack.
Bowling discipline sets the tone
Australia’s performance with the ball was as clinical as their batting was controlled. Ellis’ 4 for 12 stood out not just for the wickets but for the pressure he applied; his economy and accuracy forced Ireland’s batters into high‑risk shots far earlier than they would have liked.
Zampa’s 4 for 23 demonstrated once again why he is central to Australia’s white‑ball plans. On a surface that rewarded patience and changes of pace, he consistently attacked the stumps, forcing errors from batters unsure whether to commit forward or back.
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Xavier Bartlett and Matthew Kuhnemann provided useful support, tightening the screws from the other end and ensuring Ireland never found a passage of play in which they could counter‑attack freely. In the field, Australia were sharp, with direct hits and diving stops adding to Ireland’s sense of suffocation.
Perfect start to Group B campaign
The 67‑run margin sends Australia to the top of Group B on net run rate and serves as a statement of intent to the rest of the tournament. Coming into the World Cup with key players missing and questions about depth, they answered emphatically on both fronts: the batting card produced multiple contributions, and the attack functioned as a well‑drilled unit.
For Ireland, the defeat leaves them winless after two matches and with serious concerns over both form and fitness. Stirling’s hamstring issue looms as a major worry, and the fragility of the top order under pressure was laid bare. Their bowlers showed patches of discipline, particularly in the latter half of Australia’s innings, but the early overs with both bat and ball ultimately proved decisive.
As the tournament moves forward, Australia will look to build on the momentum of this comprehensive opening victory, while Ireland face a quick turnaround to resurrect their campaign and repair both confidence and combinations.
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Australia may have needed four days to get on the park, but once they did, they wasted no time reminding everyone why they remain perennial contenders in global T20 cricket.
A McDonald’s cheeseburger, fries, and soda arranged in Celina, Texas, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025.
Jake Dockins | Bloomberg | Getty Images
McDonald’s is expected to report its fourth-quarter earnings after the bell on Wednesday.
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Here’s what Wall Street analysts surveyed by LSEG are expecting the company to report:
Earnings per share: $3.05 expected
Revenue: $6.84 billion expected
The fast-food giant, often viewed as a bellwether of consumer spending, has been warning for more than a year that low-income consumers are spending less. In response, McDonald’s has embraced discounted offerings, from rolling out a value menu to relaunching Extra Value combo meals.
One bright spot for McDonald’s and the broader fast-food segment has been high-income diners, who are trading down from fast-casual restaurant options. Buzzy promotions have won over those consumers and boosted the chain’s sales, too; the fourth quarter included the return of Monopoly, as well as the Grinch meal, timed for the holiday season.
Analysts are projecting that McDonald’s same-store sales will rise 3.9%, fueled by a 5.4% increase in the U.S., according to StreetAccount estimates.
Despite the rebound in its sales, McDonald’s shares have risen only about 4% over the last year, hurt by broader concerns about the consumer and the rise of GLP-1 drugs.
A basketball finds nothing but net during practice before a 2024 NCAA Tournament game at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
Charles LeClaire | Reuters
Prediction markets saw strong results from the Super Bowl, but it was just an appetizer for a banquet of sporting events in 2026 that are expected to drive surging volumes in event contracts.
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Kalshi saw record downloads during Super Bowl week, up 1,544% from the same time period last year, according to a report from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. Daily active users jumped more than 1,100% to nearly 2 million on the day of the big game, the firm said.
That was almost three times the daily active users on sportsbook BetMGM, co-owned by MGM and Entain, which had 81% growth to 680,000 daily active users. Polymarket reported 59,000 daily active users and 264% growth over the previous year.
More than $1 billion was traded on Kalshi for the Super Bowl, up 2,700% according to the company. Founder and CEO Tarek Mansour told CNBC Tuesday that consumers are drawn by having lots of trading options for the game in one place.
“Our culture markets were huge this weekend. You know, ‘What [Bad] Bunny was going to perform’ was over $100 million in trading,” he said.
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Though prediction markets enable users to buy event contracts for a wide swath of financial, weather, pop culture and other events, sports have been driving the action and the profits.
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev is pushing back against any investor concerns the Super Bowl was as good as it gets for trading on sports prediction markets.
“What we’re actually seeing is surprising us,” Tenev said on his company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Tuesday. “In January, for instance, NBA contracts surpassed NFL in trading activity on our platform.”
Major sports events keep rolling, with the Winter Olympics offering a variety of betting options through Feb. 22. This weekend, fans will also get an eyeful during the NBA All-Star Weekend.
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March brings college basketball madness, with the NCAA Tournament taking off with Selection Sunday on March 15. The entire tournament typically brings in more gambling dollars than Super Bowl.
And then there’s the World Cup, kicking off 104 games in mid-June.
Kalshi has been aggressive in marketing, outspending Polymarket in the United States by about 19 times and outspending DraftKings by about 35%, according to Sensor Tower estimates.
Still, the American giants in sports betting remain dominant. DraftKings saw 5 million daily active users for the Super Bowl and FanDuel had 4.2 million, according to the Sensor Tower data.
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The CEOs of sportsbook market leaders FanDuel and DraftKings both told CNBC just before the game that they don’t see any cannibalization of their traditional sports betting business. They instead see real opportunity with sports and event contracts in states that haven’t legalized sports wagering.
Tenev said events contracts are the “fastest growing business in the company’s history.” Robinhood reported a 300% rise in “other revenue,” which is largely comprised of event contracts.
And the growth is accelerating. Robinhood reported 12 billion event contracts in 2025, and it’s already seen 4 billion contracts so far in 2026.
Disclosure: CNBC and Kalshi have a commercial relationship that includes a minority investment.
Payne Capital Management President Ryan Payne explains why tech earnings remain strong despite a recent dip and how AI hiring could help offset a wave of baby boomer retirements on ‘Mornings with Maria’.
Amazon is expanding its same-day prescription delivery service to nearly 4,500 U.S. cities and towns by the end of 2026, adding about 2,000 new communities, including statewide coverage in Idaho and Massachusetts.
The move deepens Amazon’s push into the prescription drug market, which it entered in 2018 through its acquisition of PillPack. The company is positioning faster delivery and subscription pricing as competitive advantages against traditional pharmacy chains.
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Amazon said the expansion comes as pharmacy closures, staffing shortages and transportation barriers make it harder for some patients – particularly in rural and remote areas – to access medications.
“Patients shouldn’t have to choose between speed, cost, and convenience when it comes to their medication, regardless of where they live,” said John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy. “By combining our pharmacy expertise with our logistics network, we’re removing critical barriers and helping patients start treatment faster—setting a new standard for accessible, digital-forward pharmacy care.”
Boxes lie on a conveyor belt during Cyber Monday at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Robbinsville, New Jersey, U.S., Dec. 2, 2024. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
The company said it improved delivery speeds across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., in 2025. Faster shipping is expanding into rural areas, including remote Alaska towns and parts of the Navajo Nation, where the nearest pharmacy can be nearly an hour away.
Close-up of an Amazon Pharmacy shipping label on a cardboard box, Reliez Valley, California, Feb. 9, 2025. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Amazon is also integrating pharmacy services with One Medical, the primary care provider it acquired in 2023. Some One Medical patients can pick up prescriptions at in-clinic kiosks, and the company began filling select prescriptions at those electronic kiosks in December. One Medical operates on a $199 annual membership model.
In October, Amazon partnered with WeightWatchers to supply medications, including injectable GLP-1 obesity treatments, to its members. Amazon Pharmacy also offers the oral GLP-1 Wegovy pill.
Amazon packages seen on a conveyor belt at a warehouse facility. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The company continues to promote cost-saving programs, including Prime Rx discounts of up to 80% on generics and 40% on brand-name drugs for uninsured members, as well as RxPass, a $5-per-month subscription available in 48 states for more than 50 common medications.
