Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to NHS trusts and other bodies on ensuring equal provision of access to treatments for rare diseases.

The Government is committed to the implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases that sets out a long-term strategic vision for the Department and its arm’s length bodies in improving the lives of people with rare diseases and conditions.

In their plans for the overall implementation of the Five Year Forward View, NHS England recently announced an intention to publish an implementation plan in 2017/18 setting out its delivery contribution to the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases.

Planned improvements for patients with rare disease must take account of the legal duties of the Secretary of State, NHS England and clinical commissioning groups to have regard to the need to reduce health inequalities including in access to, and outcomes from, health services.