• Charity Medics for Rare Disease launches a free five minute training video for Rare Disease Day 2026, encouraging healthcare professionals to become more ‘rare aware’
• 3.5 million people in the UK are living with a rare disease 1 – as many people as those living with cancer 2
• Rare Disease Day will be marked globally on Saturday 28 February 2026

26 January 2026: Medics for Rare Disease today announced the launch of a mini training video that will help HCPs become more ‘rare aware’ in five minutes. Since 2022, the charity has asked HCPs to ‘Show Your Stripes’ for Rare Disease Day, by wearing stripy socks to raise awareness and show support for people living with rare conditions. This year, Medics for Rare Disease is asking HCPs to go one small step further and ‘Learn Your Stripes’, by completing the five minute Rare Disease introductory training video.

While there are thousands of individual rare diseases, they share many characteristics and those impacted face painfully similar challenges. The 3.5 million people living with rare disease in the UK wait an average of five years to reach diagnosis, 1 ping-ponging between specialists and having unnecessary tests that further overextend our already stretched NHS. Despite this, there is no standardised rare disease education included in UK medical school curricula or specialty training. In a 2023 study, Medics for Rare Disease found that 73% of medical students surveyed couldn’t correctly define a rare disease.

Medics for Rare Disease CEO Dr Lucy McKay says

As medics we are taught ‘common things are common’ and ‘hear hooves, think horse… not zebra.’ That mindset is outdated and damaging. Our clinical ambassadors relay to us the ongoing working pressures of those on the NHS frontline and how challenging it is to do the best for your patients with limited time. That is why we’ve made it easier than ever to become more ‘rare aware’. It takes only five minutes to complete our new training video but it introduces a rare aware approach to clinical practice that can make a real difference to your patients living with rare disease.”

In 2025, over 200 images of stripy socks were posted on social media by healthcare professionals, medical students and changemakers, including Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health Ms Ashley Dalton MP and media medics Dr Sarah Jarvis and Dr Philippa Kaye.

In 2026, HCPs and supporters are invited to:

• Wear a pair of stripy socks in the week running up to Rare Disease Day on Saturday 28 February, post photos online with #ShowYourStripes and tag @MedicsForRare
• #LearnYourStripes Rare Disease training at https://www.m4rd.org/rarediseaseday and encourage colleagues to do the same
• Contact info@m4rd.org to enquire about in-person training

-ENDS-

About Medics for Rare Disease

Medics for Rare Disease* is a charity that provides free Rare Disease training for UK healthcare professionals. Rare Disease affects 3.5 million people in the UK and most conditions start in childhood. People with rare conditions wait an average five years to reach diagnosis, commonly experiencing multiple referrals, unnecessary tests and misdiagnoses. Despite this, most healthcare professionals will never receive dedicated rare disease training. Medics for Rare Disease exists to provide essential free educational resources to doctors, medical students and other healthcare professionals, to improve the healthcare journeys of people living with rare conditions.

Medics for Rare Disease partners with commercial companies in order to receive funding and to progress its mission. The charity works independently from these companies. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of any company or its products. To find out more visit www.m4rd.org/sponsors

Thank you to our 2026 Partner Companies for supporting this campaign: Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, Alnylam, Amicus Therapeutics, emotive, Kyowa Kirin, Medscape Education, SOBI and Takeda. Sponsorship does not equate to endorsement of any pharmaceutical company or its products. To find out more visit www.m4rd.org/sponsors

*Medics for Rare Disease is the working name for Medics 4 Rare Diseases – a charity registered in England and Wales. Charity number 1183996. Registered address: Medics 4 Rare Diseases, Unit 12, Treadaway Technical Centre, Treadaway Hill, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP10 9RS.

Interviews available with CEO Lucy McKay and Medics for Rare Disease Ambassadors available upon request.

Contacts
Emily Campbell, emily@mearnsandpike.com, 07384755096
Laura Chambers, laura@mearnsandpike.com, 07793049657

References
1. GOV.UK, Department of Health & Social Care. Published 28 February 2025. England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2025: main report.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/england-rare-diseases-action-plan-2025/england-rare-diseases-action-plan-2025-main-report. Last Accessed: 24 November 2025.
2. Macmillan Cancer Support. Cancer Statistics in the UK. https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/research/cancer-statistics-fact-sheet. Last Accessed: 24 November 2025.