Jess’s Rule to be advertised in all GP surgeries in England

A new system encouraging doctors to “think again” if they can’t make a diagnosis after seeing a patient three times – called the Jess Rule – will be advertised at every GP practice in England from next week.

NHS initiative It is named after Jessica Brady, who died of advanced-stage fourth cancer in 2020 at the age of 27.

Before her final diagnosis, Jess contacted her GP more than 20 times after feeling unwell, only to be told her symptoms were related to long Covid-19 and that she was “too young for cancer”.

His mother, Andrea Brady, welcomed the government’s distribution of the posters. “We still need to trust our doctors, but we also need to trust ourselves,” he told BBC Breakfast.

Under the patient safety initiative, GPs are being asked to take a “new eyes” approach if they are unable to give a patient a confirmed diagnosis or if their symptoms increase after three appointments.

Jess, an engineer at Airbus, fell ill in June 2020.

Andrea said her family initially assumed it was something minor, but “that wasn’t what happened for Jess.”

His symptoms, which included unexplained weight loss, night sweats and vomiting, then worsened.

“It was very, very painful to see the impact it had on Jess, not just physically but mentally,” Andrea said.

Jess contacted six different doctors in her general practice and had three face-to-face meetings with a GP but was not referred to a specialist.

Her family then arranged a private appointment and she was referred to a specialist, who diagnosed Jess with terminal cancer adenocarcinoma (cancer in the glands that cover the organs) in November.

He died three weeks later, just days before Christmas 2020.

The government said the consulting room posters would improve patient safety by encouraging doctors to “re-examine patient records, question initial assumptions and be alert to warning signs that might otherwise be overlooked.”

Health Minister Wes Streeting said: “Every patient deserves to be heard and every serious illness deserves to be diagnosed early.

“The Jess Rule makes this possible, reminding clinicians to look again when symptoms persist and empowering patients to talk openly about their care.”

Andrea said the family wanted to follow what Jess “really wanted to start when she was diagnosed, which was to create positive change.”

“It took five years but now it’s really important to know that Jess’s rule is there and it’s happening and it’s been received in a really positive and proactive way by primary care colleagues,” she added.

He said the rule was a “two-pronged thing” aimed at benefiting both patients and GPs.

The posters were designed by Jess’s parents, Andrea and Simon, in partnership with NHS England and the Department of Health, and were funded by the Jessica Brady Cedar Trust, set up in her honour.

NHS England’s national medical director, Dr. Claire Fuller said: “Encouraging GP teams to challenge diagnoses when it matters most can save lives by preventing missed or late diagnoses.”