Safety in numbers (sometimes!)

The Department of Health has just launched a Rare Diseases Consultation. From my learning's recently the care pathways seem to be very well mapped out for the big diseases - COPD, CHF, Cancer, Diabetes and Asthma - with specialist clinics and specialist nurses. These are services that I personally feel I have not has access to (yet!), so would welcome the recommendation! The Rare Disease Consultation recommends that the care of patients with rare diseases should be better co-ordinated. 
With it being impossible for clinicians to be experts in every disease, some care provided may have a short-term view, looking at the relapse without taking into account the wider and long-term picture of the patient. Obviously funds have to be used effectively, and that means often it goes towards common conditions. Neither common or rare conditions should be treated at the expense of the others!