The UK government has announced the nationwide rollout of Jess’s Rule, a new safety measure aimed at preventing avoidable deaths from serious conditions like cancer by improving early diagnosis in GP practices.
What is Jess’s Rule?
Named after 27-year-old Jessica Brady, who died in 2020 following a delayed cancer diagnosis. Jessica contacted her GP surgery around 20 times over six months, reporting symptoms including abdominal pain, coughing, vomiting, and weight loss. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, most of her appointments were virtual. She was misdiagnosed with long Covid and treated with various medications, but her condition deteriorated. Only after her mother paid for a private consultation, was she diagnosed with late-stage cancer of the glands, and she died just three weeks later.
Introducing three strikes and rethink
Jess’s Rule introduces a “three strikes and rethink” approach in primary care. Under the new rule, if a patient has had three appointments for the same symptoms without a clear diagnosis or improvement, GPs will be required to reassess the case more thoroughly. This will include seeking second opinions, ordering more tests and making specialist referrals.
Jess’s Rule comes in the wake of Martha’s Rule, another patient safety initiative aimed at preventing avoidable deaths in hospitals. Introduced after the tragic death of 13-year-old Martha Mills from sepsis in 2021, the rule gives patients and families the right to request an urgent second opinion if they feel a condition is worsening and not being properly addressed. Both rules reflect a growing push to empower patients and prevent delays in critical care and we hope that sufficient resources will be available to facilitate them.
How Moore Barlow can help
Sadly, several of our cases involve a delay in diagnosing serious conditions and we have successfully achieved settlements for many clients in these circumstances.
If you or a loved one has been affected by delayed diagnosis, you may be entitled to support or legal recourse. It is important to seek advice from qualified medical negligence specialists, who can help assess your situation and guide you through the process of making a claim.
Further Reading – BBC – New rule for GPs after 27-year-old’s cancer missed
