The new chief at Ramsay Health Care's Surrey hospitals, Phil Bates, has taken up his post covering the Ashtead and North Downs sites.

Relocating from Lancashire where he has spent the last two years at Ramsay's Euxton Hall hospital and leading the development of a new Sterile Services centre for Ramsay's North West group Phil said: "I'm delighted to be moving to Surrey to enhance and develop the services we deliver to our patients at Ashtead and North Downs Hospitals. These are interesting times as we move to extend the services we offer to both our Premium and Essential Care patients."

Ramsay Health Care has launched a unique service package for private patients. Premium Care is available to all patients using private medical insurance or funding their own treatment, and aims to set the standard for private healthcare.

Phil explains the drive behind the product: "We believe that Premium Care will encourage patients who have private medical insurance to ask their doctor for a referral to Ashtead and North Downs Hospitals. Both have a strong reputation for clinical excellence, patient satisfaction and very low infection rates. The Premium Care package focuses on the areas that patients feel are the most important. These include early access, choice of consultant and appointment time, en-suite facilities (where clinically appropriate), as well as Premium Care accommodation, menus and free parking, TV and newspaper. Our aim is to make you feel like a guest as well as a patient in a relaxing environment." Phil who is married to Janet - with two teenage daughters - has been with the Ramsay Health Care group for over three years.