Across England, GPs are being encouraged to “think again” when treating patients without a precise diagnosis or when symptoms worsen.
This new initiative is named after Jessica Brady, a promising Airbus engineer, who contacted her GP more than 20 times in 2020 when she began to fall ill. She was told that her symptoms were due to long Covid and that she was “too young for cancer”. Despite her many visits to her doctor, she passed away from advanced stage four cancer later that year.
Her mother stated that her “body was failing her” and that she “lost quite a lot of weight, had night sweats, chronic fatigue, a persistent cough and very enlarged lymph nodes”, but was dismissed due to her age. Despite these alarming symptoms and numerous consultations with her GP practice, no referral to a specialist was made.
By the time Jess’s family had arranged for a private appointment and was finally referred to a specialist, her cancer was too advanced for curative treatment. Jess’s family hopes that Jess’s Rule will raise awareness about the importance of GPs acting promptly for patients who are facing worsening symptoms.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting described her death as “a preventable and unnecessary tragedy” and stated that the rule would enhance patient safety.
Jess’s rule is not an introduction of new legislation but serves as a robust reminder for GPs across the UK to adopt a so-called “three strikes and rethink” approach. This means that when a patient attends three appointments with the same symptoms and shows no improvement, action should be taken to adjust the approach to care. This may involve scheduling face-to-face appointments with patients who were previously contacted only by phone, ordering additional tests, seeking a second opinion from a colleague within the practice, or considering referring patients to a specialist for further investigation.
Jess’s story illustrates the consequences of missing early diagnosis opportunities. Delayed or missed diagnoses continue to be a significant cause of clinical negligence claims. This new rule’s focus is to prevent harm, but it will also act as a clear standard against which healthcare providers’ actions can be assessed. For patients and families pursuing a claim, Jess’s Rule may help demonstrate where GPs failed to act appropriately after repeated consultations and that missed opportunities for further investigation existed. If you or a loved one has been affected by delays in diagnosis, our specialist clinical negligence team is here to offer support. Jess’s Rule is an important step towards.
