Backlash after Wes Streeting's 'listen to your doctors' remark on Lorraine following grieving mother's misdiagnosis story

British Health Secretary Wes Streeting drew sharp criticism on Lorraine after telling viewers to listen to your doctors in the same broadcast where Andrea Brady described how her daughter, Jessica Brady, died following a string of dismissed symptoms. The interview introduced Jess's Rule, an NHS initiative designed to prompt general practitioners to think again if a patient has three visits without a clear diagnosis or if symptoms worsen. Jessica Brady, a 27-year-old engineer from Stevenage who worked on satellite design for Airbus, sought medical help more than 20 times in 2020 but was repeatedly told her symptoms were long Covid or that she was too young for cancer. She died that year from stage four cancer. Brady spoke of Jessica's dignity and courage during the Lorraine appearance with Streeting.

Lorraine Kelly, the show's host, was visibly moved as she paid tribute to Jessica’s work and character. Andrea Brady described how Jessica knew her own body and fought to advocate for herself, despite clinicians insisting she was fine. Andrea also spoke of a tribute arranged by Jessica’s employer: the last satellite Jessica worked on was dedicated to her, with the words "Thank you Jess" displayed. The Brady family hopes posters of Jess's Rule will be placed in GP consulting rooms, and their charity is funding distribution of those posters.

Minutes after Andrea's testimony, Streeting addressed Donald Trump’s recent suggestion of a link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism, saying there is no evidence to support such a link. He urged viewers to trust British doctors, British science, and the NHS, and cited a major Swedish study from 2024 involving 2.4 million children that did not uphold the claim. While some viewers praised the health message, others criticized the timing as insensitive given Andrea Brady’s account of her daughter's experiences with misdiagnosis.

Streeting has previously described Jessica's death as a preventable tragedy and said Jess's Rule could help GPs catch potentially deadly illnesses earlier. The government frames the rule as a practical prompt for clinicians to reassess ambiguous cases and to ensure persistent or worsening symptoms are not dismissed. The Lorraine segment underscored ongoing concerns about access to timely medical evaluation and the importance of clear guidelines for frontline clinicians.

Lorraine airs weekdays on ITV1 at 9:30 a.m. and is available to stream on ITVX.