Jess's Rule launched to speed cancer diagnosis and bolster NHS care

LONDON — Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced the launch of Jess's Rule, a patient-safety initiative intended to speed cancer diagnosis across the NHS in England. The plan aims to reduce delays in primary care and boost early detection of cancer.

Named in memory of Jessica Brady, who died at 27 after more than 20 GP visits over five months without a cancer diagnosis, the policy is designed to prevent similar tragedies.

Under Jess's Rule, if a patient attends three appointments without a diagnosis or with escalating symptoms, the GP must take fresh eyes to the case — potentially arranging a face-to-face consultation, ensuring continuity of care, seeking a second opinion, or ordering additional tests.

Officials say catching cancers earlier creates a butterfly effect: diagnosing at Stage One rather than Stage Four can save lives and reduce pressure on the NHS by freeing resources for other patients.

Support for the policy cites progress under the Plan for Change, including about 160,000 more people diagnosed or ruled out within 28 days from August 2024 to July 2025, compared with the 12 months from July 2023 to June 2024. The NHS says it is already improving access by recruiting over 2,000 extra GPs this year and delivering record funding of more than £1 billion for GP practices in 2025-26. Patient-satisfaction indicators with GP services have begun to rise as reforms take hold.

Streeting has said that money alone will not fix the system and that reform must include listening to patients and families. Families like Andrea and Simon Brady have spoken publicly about their loss and are involved in lessons learned to improve patient safety and care in Jess's memory.

The Jess's Rule initiative is part of broader NHS reform efforts aimed at improving patient safety and accelerating cancer diagnosis across England.