Health Secretary backs Jess's Rule as family recounts misdiagnosis that killed young woman

Wes Streeting urged Lorraine viewers to listen to your doctors on Tuesday, shortly after Andrea Brady described her daughter's misdiagnoses. The moment underscored the launch of Jess's Rule, an NHS initiative designed to prompt general practitioners in England to think again when a patient has three consultations without a clear diagnosis or when symptoms worsen.

Jessica Brady, 27, an engineer from Stevenage who worked at Airbus on satellite design, sought medical help more than 20 times after falling ill in summer 2020 but was repeatedly told she had long Covid or that she was too young for cancer. She died later that year from stage 4 cancer.

Andrea Brady appeared on Lorraine with Streeting to recount her daughter's story and to discuss the formal launch of Jess's Rule. She said Jess’s boss arranged for the last satellite she worked on to be dedicated to her memory as a tribute, and that the charity funds the poster to be displayed in GP rooms. She added that they were told on the Monday about the dedication, but Jess died on the Saturday. We hope that all GP consulting rooms will have a poster of Jess's Rule, and our charity is funding the publication and distribution of that poster. Lorraine Kelly, the host, wore a somber expression and told Andrea that she wished she had met Jess, noting that she had driven the Mars Rover, and that she was truly exceptional.

Lorraine reflected on the human cost of delayed diagnosis and asked what can be done to improve care as Streeting outlined the policy goals of Jess's Rule, which aims to trigger a recheck when a patient has multiple visits without a clear diagnosis or when symptoms worsen.

Some viewers reacted online to Streeting's remarks, describing the timing as a kick in the teeth shortly after Andrea's testimony. Others pressed questions about how the policy would be implemented in busy GP practices and whether it would lead to rapid testing for serious conditions.

In defending the administration, Streeting has described Jessica's death as a preventable and unnecessary tragedy and has said Jess's Rule will help GPs catch potentially deadly illnesses early. He has argued that a cautious, evidence-based approach is essential when symptoms are persistent or unusual for a patient.

The discussion also touched on broader medical debates. Streeting rejected Donald Trump’s suggestion of a link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism, stating there is no evidence to support such a claim and referencing a major 2024 Swedish study that did not uphold those claims. He urged the public to listen to British doctors and the NHS rather than unverified statements, stressing the importance of following medical science and evidence in an era of skepticism.

Jess's Rule is named in honor of Jessica Brady, a talented engineer from Stevenage who worked on satellite design at Airbus. The initiative seeks to empower GPs to rethink diagnoses after repeated visits or worsening symptoms and to flag potential warning signs of serious illness before it becomes fatal.

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