HEREFORDSHIRE health chief Paul Bates is advising the Government on new health care standards for kidney services.

He was invited by Health Minister Jacqui Smith to join a group of independent experts who will take a leading role in developing an official Renal National Service Framework for kidney patients.

Announcing the names of the group the Minister said while many patients received first class treatment there were many instances where care fell short of the standards they were entitled to expect.

Mr Bates, who was appointed chief executive of Herefordshire Primary Care Trust when it was formed a year ago will join with 23 others from across the country to advise the Government.

Their brief includes looking at the effective delivery of dialysis, transplantation, primary prevention and pre-dialysis ad alternatives models of care.

Jacqui Smith said the new National Service Framework will be a remarkable and potentially life-saving document.

Mr Bates said he was not an expert on kidney problems but the Government had wanted the chief executive of a Primary Care Trust on the advisory group.

He would be involved in all of the group's work and particularly advising on the implications of new standards on trusts, what pressures were involved in competing with the many other service priorities and how best to introduce them.

Mr Bates, Hereford born and bred has worked with heath authorities in various parts of the country.

His first job, after leaving Hereford High School for Boys was with the old Herefordshire Executive Council responsible for GPs and before coming back to Hereford he was chief executive with Rockingham Forest NHS Trust in Northamptonshire.