A new 'three strikes' initiative will be promoted in GPsurgeries across England from this week, forming part of a potentially life-saving campaign to increase awareness of Jess's Rule. The rule is named afterJessica Brady,who contacted her surgery 20 times before her tragic death in 2020 at the age of 27.

Jess's Rule is a framework that urges GPs to reassess their methodology if a patient has attended three appointments without obtaining a diagnosis. Introduced in September, the rule seeks to prevent unnecessary deaths and help medical practitioners avoid overlooking serious conditions such as cancer.

The rule encourages GPs to consider requesting a second opinion, arranging face-to-face consultations, or commissioning further tests. Andrea Brady, Jess's mother, revealed that the charity founded in her daughter's memory has been 'heartened' by the reception to the initiative.

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Promotional materials for Jess's Rule have been sent to all 6,170 GP surgeries in England, according to the MEN. These materials, jointly created by DHSC, NHS England and Jess's parents Andrea and Simon Brady, seek to improve patient safety by prompting family doctors to challenge initial assessments.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: "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.

"This is a fitting tribute to Jessica Brady and the tireless campaigning of her parents. Their determination to turn tragedy into lasting change will help protect patients and save lives for years to come."

GP surgeries nationwide will receive letters from Mr Streeting and NHS England's national medical director Dr Claire Fuller highlighting the importance of Jess's Rule.

Dr Fuller said: "Encouraging GP teams to challenge a diagnosis when it matters most could save lives by avoiding missed or late diagnoses, and I'd like to thank Andrea and Simon Brady and the Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust for funding and providing their important insights to develop the posters."

Jessica, an engineer at Airbus, contacted her GP surgery around 20 times over a six-month period before her death in 2020. She experienced symptoms including stomach pain, a cough, vomiting and losing weight.

Pandemic restrictions meant she received virtual appointments and was given different medicines including antibiotics and steroids. She was also told she could be suffering from long Covid.

When her mother arranged for her to see a private doctor, Jess was diagnosed with cancer but it had already spread through her body. Jess passed away in hospital three weeks afterwards.

Andrea Brady expressed: "Throughout her illness, Jess showed a quiet determination that her experience should lead to meaningful change, inspiring the launch of Jess's Rule in September last year. I am so incredibly proud of my caring and courageous daughter.

"The Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust, the charity established in Jess's name, has been heartened by the response from primary care practitioners adopting 'the Three Strikes and We Rethink' approach.

"Many have committed to developing further training, while others have written to patients to endorse the initiative and show their support. This level of engagement has been profoundly encouraging.

"Jess's Rule posters have now been distributed to all GP practices in England and are expected to be displayed in consultation rooms. By supporting clinicians to take a fresh eyes approach when a patient returns for a third time with the same or worsening symptoms, Jess's Rule aims to ensure serious illnesses, including cancer, are identified and treated earlier – a goal I remain hopeful will be achieved."

Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, acknowledged that Ms Brady's story "is an important reminder that sometimes a rare diagnosis could be the right diagnosis".

She added: "Jess's Rule formalises 'best practice' in general practice and underlines the importance of taking time to reflect and review a diagnosis, if a treatment plan doesn't seem to be working. This might mean having a more in-depth conversation with the patient to see what other factors could be impacting their health, asking a colleague for a second opinion, or if appropriate, making a referral to secondary care.

"Timely diagnosis can mean better outcomes for patients - but many serious conditions, including many cancers, are challenging to identify in primary care because the symptoms are often similar to other less serious and more common conditions. The college has worked with Jess Brady's family and the Jessica Brady CEDAR Trust to develop learning resources for GPs on diagnosing cancer in younger people."

Research from the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation found that half of 16 to 24 year olds required three or more GP appointments before being diagnosed with cancer, compared with one-in-five amongst the wider population.