New cross-border Rare Disease North-West group launched

A unique new cross-border organisation designed to lobby and provide a support network for people with rare diseases and conditions has been launched.
By The Newsroom
Published 19th Feb 2016, 13:37 BST
Updated 19th Feb 2016, 14:39 BST
Pictured at the launch of the Foyle and North West Rare Disease Forum, in the MDEC Building at Altnagelvin Hospital on Wednesday last are Christine Collins Chair of the NIRDP, Mark Durkan MP, Dr Fiona Stewart MBE Consultant in Medical Genetics, Gina Grant from Our Childrens Voice Donegal and Sandra Campbell Foyle and North West Forum. The Forum will provide support and advocacy for people with rare diseases in the North West. DER0716GS056Pictured at the launch of the Foyle and North West Rare Disease Forum, in the MDEC Building at Altnagelvin Hospital on Wednesday last are Christine Collins Chair of the NIRDP, Mark Durkan MP, Dr Fiona Stewart MBE Consultant in Medical Genetics, Gina Grant from Our Childrens Voice Donegal and Sandra Campbell Foyle and North West Forum. The Forum will provide support and advocacy for people with rare diseases in the North West. DER0716GS056
Pictured at the launch of the Foyle and North West Rare Disease Forum, in the MDEC Building at Altnagelvin Hospital on Wednesday last are Christine Collins Chair of the NIRDP, Mark Durkan MP, Dr Fiona Stewart MBE Consultant in Medical Genetics, Gina Grant from Our Childrens Voice Donegal and Sandra Campbell Foyle and North West Forum. The Forum will provide support and advocacy for people with rare diseases in the North West. DER0716GS056

The North West & Donegal Rare Disease Partnership was launched at the Western Trust headquarters in Derry’s Waterside on Wednesday.

Addressing those gathered, Consultant in Medical Genetics, Fiona Stewart, who has been holding weekly clinics with patients with rare diseases at Altnagelvin Hospital over the past 25 years, said there was now have a window of opportunity for them and their families to have their voices heard like never before.

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This was because an EU Directive has resulted in all countries having to develop their own Rare Disease Policies, with the UK-wide policy expected to be launched later this month, incorporating a more specific new strategy tailored for, and developed in, Northern Ireland, while the plans south of the Irish border was “well advanced”.

Speaking about the launch of the new North West & Donegal Rare Disease Partnership, she said: “This is a brilliant opportunity and it is particularly good it is up here because often the North West gets left out of a lot of things.

“Lots of meetings are in Belfast, it’s a long way to travel and families with commitments find it difficult, so it’s good to have a kind of impetus coming for the North West, it’s really good to have the cross-border bit because I think that is a really important part of our plan and we are the only UK country with a land border with another EU state so we have lots of opportunities to do things.”

Sandra Campbell, who will co-ordinate the new local project,said she felt it was “important to bring people together, allow people to connect, and hopefully empowering everybody to get more information at the time then need it most and get support when they need it most.

“Hopefully, this will be the start of something for the North West and Donegal.” added.

Related topics:North WestWestern TrustDerry