After the tragic and unnecessary passing of 27-year-old Jessica Brady, doctors in the UK will conform to a new rule called Jess’ Rule. Gone are the days when you feel doctors aren’t hearing your complaints, and it’s about damn time.
Who was Jessica Brady?
Credit: Family handout
Back in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19, Jessica Brady complained of persistent issues despite being relatively healthy before the pandemic. Her symptoms soon became “increasingly debilitating,” her mum, Andrea, earlier told the BBC.
“She had unintentionally lost quite a lot of weight, had night sweats, chronic fatigue, a persistent cough and very enlarged lymph nodes,” she detailed. “But because of her age, it was obviously considered there wasn’t anything wrong.”
Jessica contacted six separate doctors regarding her symptoms, including three face-to-face consultations with a family doctor. But despite that, no diagnosis or referral was made as doctors claimed she was suffering from long Covid. Apparently, she was “too young” for serious health issues like cancer.
Inspired by the legacy of Jess Brady, a new rule will help diagnose serious illnesses sooner.
Through Jess’s Rule, GPs will rethink after three appointments, to treat patients who need care sooner and avoid preventable deaths.
Find out more:https://t.co/RyC989lYdB pic.twitter.com/A7BYhgU4hm
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) September 23, 2025
In November 2020, after splashing out on private healthcare to get answers, Jessica Brady was diagnosed with a Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that starts “in the glands that line your organs.” It was too late for treatment, and she died three weeks later just a few days before Christmas.
Though Jessica Brady and her family will never get justice for the circumstances of her death, Jess’ Rule was put into place this week as a direct response.
Credit: Family handout
Okay, so what is Jess’ Rule?
As of Tuesday, September 23, all doctors in the UK are to conform to Jess’ Rule, a move inspired by the passing of Jessica Brady and doctors missing her Stage 4 adenocarcinoma.
As per the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, Jess’ Rule urges healthcare professionals to take a “three strikes and rethink approach” to medical care. This could take many forms: Referring people to specialists, asking for a second opinion, face-to-face consultations if other appointments had been on the phone, and ordering extra tests.
“In the five months leading up to her death, Jessica had more than twenty appointments with her GP (general practitioner) practice but eventually had to seek private healthcare,” the press release read.
“While many GP practices already use similar approaches in complex cases, Jess’s Rule will make this standard practice across the country, aiming to reduce health inequalities and ensuring everyone – no matter their age or background – receives the same high standard of care.”
Jess Brady tragically died aged 27 from cancer that could have been caught earlier.
A new rule inspired by her story will help GPs catch illnesses earlier and avoid preventable deaths.
Watch Jess’s mum, Andrea talk about what Jess’s Rule means for young and vulnerable people
pic.twitter.com/icytW5dOCZ
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) September 23, 2025
Jessica Brady’s mum reacted to the rule
Also in the press release was a statement from Andrea, who said: “Jess lived for just three short weeks following her terminal cancer diagnosis.
“Despite her shock and devastation, she showed unfailing courage, positivity, dignity, and love. Jess was determined that people should understand how desperately she had tried to advocate for herself and seek a resolution for her declining health.
“In the bleak weeks following the loss of Jess, I [realised] it was my duty to continue what she had started. It has taken nearly five years to bring about Jess’s Rule. I would like to dedicate this initiative to all the young people who have been diagnosed too late. It has only been made possible because of the people who have listened — politicians, medics, and the nearly half a million who supported the campaign.”
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Featured image credit: Jessicabradycedartrust
