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27/08/2013
Rare Disease Advisory Group
We are pleased to announce Chair of Rare Disease UK, Alastair Kent, has been appointed to NHS England's Rare Disease Advisory Group (RDAG). This new body will advise NHS England and the devolved administrations of NHS Scotland, NHS Wales and NHS Northern Ireland on developing and implementing the strategy for rare diseases and highly specialised services.
Highly specialised services are provided to a smaller number of patients compared to specialised services; usually no more than 500 patients per year. For this reason they are typically best delivered nationally through a very small number of centres of excellence.
RDAG will receive recommendations from Clinical Reference Groups set up by NHS England, and in addition will formulate its advice by calling on sources of sound evidence from outside the NHS, such as professional bodies and patient groups to create a coherent strategic plan. For more information on RDAG please click on the link: http://www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/d-com/rdag/