The UK government has published the England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2026, outlining progress and next steps in implementing the UK Rare Diseases Framework.
The framework, agreed by the UK's four nations in 2021, aims to improve the lives of people living with rare diseases through four priorities: faster diagnosis, increased awareness among healthcare professionals, better coordination of care, and improved access to specialist treatment and drugs.
The 2026 action plan is the fifth annual report under the framework. A new action recognises rare diseases as a health inequality and commits to developing plans to address disparities in healthcare access for people affected by rare conditions.
Please read the press release from the Department of Health and Social Care for more information.