GP surgeries across England are being sent new posters promoting Jess’s Rule, a safety initiative created to help diagnose and treat serious illnesses sooner.
The posters, co-designed by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Jessica’s parents, will be displayed in consultation rooms and staff areas in all 6,170 GP practices across the country.
Jess’s Rule, which was first announced in September 2025, promotes the ‘three strikes and we rethink’ approach. This encourages doctors to take a ‘fresh eyes’ approach if a patient returns for a third time without a clear diagnosis, or if their symptoms worsen.
The initiative is named after Jessica Brady, who tragically passed away from cancer in December 2020 when she was just 27-years-old.
In the five months before her death, Jessica contacted her GP surgery more than 20 times before seeking private healthcare. She was later diagnosed with stage four adenocarcinoma and died three weeks later.
Andrea Brady, Jess’s mum, said she wanted to turn her daughter’s experience into lasting change.
‘Throughout her illness, Jess showed a quiet determination that her experience should lead to meaningful change, inspiring the launch of Jess’s Rule in September last year,’ Brady said. ‘I am so incredibly proud of my caring and courageous daughter.’
‘The Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust, the charity established in Jess’s name, has been heartened by the response from primary care practitioners adopting the ‘three strikes and we rethink’ approach,’ Brady continued.
‘Many have committed to developing further training, while others have written to patients to endorse the initiative and show their support. This level of engagement has been profoundly encouraging.’
The health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, added: ‘Every patient deserves to be heard, and every serious illness deserves to be caught early. Jess’s Rule makes that possible – reminding clinicians to take a fresh look when symptoms persist, and empowering patients to speak up about their care.
‘This is a fitting tribute to Jessica Brady and the tireless campaigning of her parents. Their determination to turn tragedy into lasting change will help protect patients and save lives for years to come.’
GP practices are also expected to receive a letter from Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England’s national medical director, urging teams to display the posters as soon as possible.
‘Encouraging GP teams to challenge a diagnosis when it matters most could save lives by avoiding missed or late diagnoses, and I’d like to thank Andrea and Simon Brady and the Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust for funding and providing their important insights to develop the posters,’ Dr Fuller said.
‘These posters will help reinforce the important principle of Jess’s Rule ‘three strikes, and we rethink’ which will be displayed in consultation rooms where clinicians make key decisions relating to a patient’s diagnosis and treatment plan day-to-day.’
Image: Andrik Langfield/UnSplash
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