The UK Government will roll out Jess’s Rule posters to all GP surgeries in England to act as a reminder of a life-saving patient safety initiative.
All GP surgeries in England will receive Jess’s Rule posters from this week, which will display the safety drive to GPs, primary care staff and patients in thousands of consultation rooms.
The rule asks GPs to take a “fresh eyes” approach and to think again if, after three appointments, they have been unable to offer a patient a substantiated diagnosis or if their symptoms have escalated.
What is Jess’s Rule?
The initiative, announced in September 2025, is named in honour of Jessica Brady, who died of cancer in December 2020 at the age of 27.
It will help avoid tragic, preventable deaths as GPs are supported to catch potentially deadly illnesses sooner.
In the five months leading up to her death, Jessica had more than 20 appointments at her GP surgery but was eventually forced to seek private healthcare. She was later diagnosed with stage four adenocarcinoma, which was so advanced that there was no available treatment, and she died in hospital three weeks later.
Jess’s Rule is the result of years of campaigning undertaken by Jess’s parents to transform a tragedy into a lasting patient safety change.
Report finds young patients require more interactions with healthcare providers
A report from the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation on cancer diagnosis in younger people and people of minority ethnicities, found that half of 16- to 24-year-olds required three or more interactions with a healthcare professional from a GP practice before being diagnosed with cancer, compared to one in five people across the whole population.
Jess’s Rule will encourage GPs to arrange face-to-face consultations if previous appointments were remote, conduct thorough physical examinations, order additional diagnostic tests and seek second opinions from colleagues.
Jess’s Rule is a crucial part of the government’s wider commitment to supporting GPs to deliver the best possible care for patients, as outlined in the 10 Year Health Plan.
Boosting patient safety across the UK
Displaying Jess’s Rule posters in consultation rooms will boost patient safety by prompting doctors to revisit patient records, challenge initial assumptions and remain alert to warning signs that might otherwise be missed.
The rollout to all 6,170 GP surgeries in England showcases the government’s commitment to protecting patients, saving lives and preventing unnecessary tragedies.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting stated: “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.”
Supporting GPs in detecting serious illnesses
The new Jess’s Rule posters were co-designed by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Jess’s parents, Andrea and Simon Brady.
They will make sure every patient’s voice is heard and that GPs have the support they need to detect serious illness before it is too late.
Alongside the posters, GP surgeries will also receive a letter from the Health Secretary and the National Medical Director of NHS England, Claire Fuller, reinforcing the importance of this approach.
The letter will ask GPs to display the poster in consultation rooms or staff areas to ensure the messaging around Jess’s Rule is visible to all teams.
“Encouraging GP teams to challenge a diagnosis when it matters most could save lives by avoiding missed or late diagnoses,” said Dr Claire Fuller, National Medical Director for NHS England.
“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.”
