Overview

• GPs are instructed to think again after three appointments without a substantiated diagnosis or where symptoms escalate.
• Steps may include arranging face‑to‑face reviews, thorough examinations, additional tests, second opinions, or specialist referrals.
• The guidance, developed with the Royal College of General Practitioners and backed by NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, is accompanied by an educational toolkit.
• The rule honors Jessica Brady, 27, who had more than 20 GP contacts before a late stage‑4 cancer diagnosis and died three weeks later in 2020.
• Cited research shows half of 16–24‑year‑olds needed three or more GP interactions before a cancer diagnosis, and the initiative builds on Martha’s Rule while making existing best practice consistent nationwide.