A new patient safety initiative, Jess’s Rule, has been announced by the Labour government to prevent avoidable deaths in primary care.
Named in memory of Jessica Brady, who tragically died of cancer in 2020 after 20 GP appointments failed to diagnose her condition, the rule asks GPs to adopt a “three strikes and rethink” approach.
Under Jess’s Rule, if a patient has attended three appointments without a substantiated diagnosis or if symptoms have escalated, GPs must reassess and escalate care as needed. This will standardise patient safety procedures across the UK.
Health campaigners have welcomed the move as a long-overdue step to ensure patients are not lost in the system and that tragedies like Jessica’s are prevented in the future.
[Read more Jessica Brady's legacy inspires new life-saving GP safety rule]
