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THE SECOND DAY OF AN INQUEST INTO THE DEATH OF BETHAN AMY JAMES HEARD OF FAILINGS IN HER CARE 18:14, 04 Jun 2025Updated 09:50, 06 Jun 2025 Paramedics “should have” alerted A&E staff that

a 21-year-old woman on her way to hospital was seriously ill, an inquest has heard. “Caring” and “beautiful” Bethan Amy James, the daughter of cricketer Steve James, was admitted to

hospital on February 8, 2020 and died the next day. An ongoing inquest into her death, which began on Tuesday, heard that her death was caused by a combination of sepsis, pneumonia and

Crohn's disease. Budding journalist Bethan was the daughter of former Glamorgan and England cricketer Steve James. A highly respected sports journalist himself, Mr James was away

covering Wales' Six Nations match in Ireland when his daughter was taken seriously ill. Heartbreakingly due to weather delays he was unable to get home and see her before she died. In

the lead up to Bethan's death, her family say she was “dismissed” by multiple medics and that “her life could have been saved”. During the second day of Bethan’s inquest on Wednesday it

was heard how there was an apparent “insufficient urgency” when paramedics arrived at Bethan’s home in St Mellons, Cardiff, that evening. Giving evidence, paramedic Laura Wilson accepted

that she should have “pre-alerted” the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff of Bethan’s arrival. However, she did not. Article continues below She said her experience with Bethan has

informed her practice as a paramedic as well as her understanding of sepsis. Speaking to coroner Patricia Morgan, Ms Wilson said: “It was a long time ago. My practice is completely different

now than it was then. “At the time, on reflection, I should have pre-alerted and taken that phone call to the hospital. I was aware Bethan was very poorly and we needed to get her to

hospital.” She added that at the time she wasn’t fully aware of the “nature of decline” associated with sepsis. Emergency medical technician Aaron Hook - who drove the ambulance and

accompanied Ms Wilson - agreed that a pre-alert “definitely” should have happened. The inquest heard evidence that blue lights were not activated during the journey from Bethan’s home to the

hospital. Ms Wilson accepted this was her decision but said activating the lights may not have been appropriate. “The purpose is to make progress to [the destination] and alert other road

users of your presence,” she told the inquest. “Their use wouldn't have achieved [this] any quicker and my thought process was using sirens and lights would have only served to add to

Bethan’s stress.” She noted that Bethan looked “very poorly” and that she was “very upset and distressed”. The inquest heard how the ambulance was on the scene for 29 minutes in total, which

Ms Wilson said was “not unreasonable”. Although she did not pre-alert the hospital she told the inquest that the University Hospital of Wales is “prompt” and “the best” in the area at

offloading patients from ambulances. She estimated that it took around five or 10 minutes for Bethan to get into hospital, adding there was “no major delay”. However the inquest heard

further evidence that Mr Hook rushed into the hospital to find a bed for Bethan in resus. It was heard that the nurse in charge of resus that day, Carys Williams, told Mr Hook that the ward

was at full capacity, but that she was aware of a “buffer bed” - which is used when no beds are available - in the nearby “majors” department. It is understood that resus is the

highest-intensity department at a hospital where those with life-threatening conditions are treated, whereas majors is a step down from this; where patients requiring close observation and

treatment are seen. It was heard how Bethan was taken to the buffer bed at the majors department when she first entered the hospital shortly after 7.45pm. She later went down to resus at

9.15pm, before she fell into cardiac arrest at around 9.35pm, it was previously heard. Ms Williams said if staff had been pre-alerted it would have “rung alarm bells” and triggered a

discussion with the consultant. It may have given medics time to select and transfer a current resus patient to the majors buffer bed, she explained. Ms Williams told the inquest how when Mr

Hook spoke to her on Bethan’s arrival she only recalls him describing Bethan as “unwell”. When probed by Welsh Ambulance Service Trust Advocate Jack Scott on why she didn’t ask Mr Hook for

more information, she reiterated that she had no capacity and it could have delayed matters at that point to take a medical history. The family’s advocate, Richard Booth, put to Ms Williams

an FOI obtained by the family detailing how many beds were available in resus that day, which suggested a bed may have been available. Ms Williams reiterated that she was at full capacity

for adults and that the availability likely referred to a free paediatric bay, adding: “I don’t recall any children coming in on that day.” Mr Booth further asked Ms Williams to confirm if

she later referred to Bethan’s deceased body as “it”. Ms Williams said she did not and would not have said this. The inquest heard evidence from consultant Bethan Morgan who took charge of

Bethan’s care less than an hour before she died. Shortly before she passed it was heard how Bethan suffered a cardiac arrest. Mr Booth asked Dr Morgan if she agreed that the cardiac arrest

could have been prevented if Bethan had been promptly transferred to the hospital and arrived at resus. In response she said: “My opinion is I think Bethan would have died of this illness

regardless.” She added that it was difficult to say for definite since she had not seen Bethan at the time paramedics first attended her home. She described Bethan’s deterioration as

“atypical”. Mr Booth acknowledged that medics at the time were “trying to piece together” what was causing Bethan’s presentation that day, and that it was not known that the cause of

Bethan’s sepsis was “viral”. Dr Morgan said: “I think we assumed it was bacterial at the time of seeing her.” During the first day of the inquest on Tuesday it was heard how Bethan was

“dismissed” by a number of medics in the weeks that led up to her death. Speaking on Tuesday her heartbroken mother Jane James described Bethan as a “caring” and “beautiful” person who

always put others before herself. Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2019 at the age of 20, Bethan documented her experience of the condition through a vlog and had hopes of becoming a

journalist. Article continues below Mrs James said: “As a person she never moaned, she never made a fuss. She was very caring. She was just beautiful. “She put people before herself. She was

more interested in other people and their stories and I think that’s why she would have made a brilliant journalist.” The inquest continues _Get Cardiff news updates on your phone by

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