Jess Brady could be alive today.

After 20 visits to the GP practice and no answers to match her symptoms, she went private, only to be told she had stage four cancer. She died shortly afterwards.

Jess’s story is heartbreaking, but sadly, it is not unique. I have heard from many constituents, especially women, who have been dismissed, unheard, or misdiagnosed. Their pain was ignored, their symptoms downplayed, and vital intervention missed.

That is why the announcement by Health Secretary Wes Streeting of Jess’s Rule, a change now being rolled out across the NHS in England, was so welcome.

Named in Jess’s memory, the Rule means that if a patient visits their GP three times with the same or worsening symptoms and still has no diagnosis, the GP must reflect, review and refer. This might mean a second opinion, a face-to-face appointment, episodic continuity of care, or further investigations.

This is an important step that will help save lives, especially for women, who are more likely to struggle being heard or to be misdiagnosed for conditions like endometriosis, PCOS and ovarian cancer. When I posted about the rule on social media I heard from numerous constituents with heartbreaking stories of diagnoses missed. GPs are just so busy and computer systems don’t speak to each other.

In a recent, and shocking, audit, it was revealed that 41 per cent of women are only diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Accident and Emergency (A&E) — often when it is already too late for curative treatment. We need better symptom awareness, but also earlier, more accurate diagnoses.

On October 4th, I will be hosting the launch of Cornwall Endo Cafe, to raise awareness and create a space for people affected by endometriosis to be heard. One in 10 women suffer from the condition, and yet diagnosis can take years, often because symptoms overlap with other illnesses or are dismissed entirely.

For diagnosis to be accurate, GP appointments really matter. They build trust and allow doctors to observe subtle physical signs, and make patients feel listened to.

I was heartened to visit Three Spires GP Practice in Truro recently, where staff have delivered more than 13,000 additional appointments in the past year – just one example of the 3.6-million extra GP appointments delivered nationwide under Labour since July. Speaking to the GPs, I was struck by the team's deep commitment to providing thorough care to their patients.

Through its Plan for Change, this government is investing in our NHS. Cutting waiting lists, modernising care, updating archaic IT systems and introducing other practical changes like Jess’s Rule that put patients first.

Jess’s death was a tragedy. But her legacy can and must be a turning point. Good healthcare is about listening to patients, spotting repeated signs and acting before it is too late.