**Family of Bethan James Left ‘Re-Living Grief’ After Inquest Finds Cardiff Woman’s Death Was Preventable**
*By [Reporter Name]*
The parents of Bethan James, a promising young journalist from St Mellons, Cardiff, have endured a painful five-year battle seeking clarity over her tragic and untimely death. Now, an inquest has finally recognised what her family long suspected: Bethan’s passing at just 21 was avoidable, due to a catalogue of missed opportunities and failures in her care.
Bethan died of cardiac arrest on 8 February 2020 after suffering an acute episode triggered by pneumonia and sepsis, further complicated by Crohn’s disease and its immune-suppressing treatments. Despite assurances from doctors that she would soon be “symptom free”, Bethan’s condition was far more severe than originally recognised. The inquest heard that Bethan’s situation deteriorated rapidly, and crucially, clinicians did not escalate her care in time.
For Steve and Jane James, Bethan’s parents, the conclusion of the inquest has offered some validation but little closure. “It’s like losing her all over again,” Jane remarked, reflecting the emotional toll the drawn-out investigation has exacted. The family were repeatedly refused an inquest, only succeeding after persistent demands and legal intervention. “If there had been an inquest straight away things would have been a lot different,” Steve explained, lamenting the possibility that others may have died under similar circumstances in the intervening years.
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (CVUHB) and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) both faced criticism at the inquest. Coroner Patricia Morgan was clear in her findings: had Bethan’s symptoms been recognised and acted upon earlier, her life could very likely have been saved. WAST has since issued an apology to the family, while CVUHB has yet to do so, although it has met the coroner’s request for evidence about its sepsis protocols.
The inquest exposed concerning gaps in communication and procedure. The family only learned that Bethan had been diagnosed with pneumonia after her funeral. Medical notes, which the family fought for months to obtain, revealed troubling inaccuracies—some were unsigned, while others were written retrospectively. “Having to go through Bethan’s records was almost as traumatic as losing her,” Jane said. “It’s a process full of barriers at a time when you’re most vulnerable.”
Not only was Bethan’s pneumonia diagnosis not communicated properly to her or her family, but her visits to A&E in the days before her death were also reportedly marred by dismissive attitudes. On one visit, Bethan was greeted with, “You again!”—a message that haunted the family, as it discouraged Bethan from seeking further treatment and ultimately led to Steve’s absence in her final hours. He described suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result, tormented by the notion that things might have been different had he not left on work commitments, reassured by doctors’ optimistic predictions.
At the heart of Bethan’s story is a litany of missed signals and overlooked symptoms. On the night of her death, paramedics failed to pre-alert the hospital—even though she had “unrecordable” blood pressure, a clear indication of sepsis. As a result, she was not initially taken to resuscitation, which delayed urgent treatment. The family maintain there were numerous opportunities across the final week of her life for hospital admission, each one missed.
In response to their ordeal, the family now campaign for Martha’s Law—currently in place across English NHS hospitals, the law gives families the right to request critical review if they fear a patient’s health is deteriorating. Jane has noted that, despite a pilot scheme called Call4Concern being trialled in Wales, her experience at hospital this year suggested nothing has yet changed to prevent future tragedies. “There was no information anywhere—no posters, no leaflets—despite everything that has happened.”
Bethan, remembered as a gentle, determined and empathetic young woman, had ambitions in journalism and a growing social media presence dedicated to raising awareness around Crohn’s disease. Her family recall her as naturally kind and considerate—a spirit that endured even as she confronted her own illness.
Health officials confirmed they had provided material requested by the coroner and emphasised continued efforts to improve patient safety, including pilot escalation schemes and digital patient notes to improve hospital pre-alerts. Meanwhile, WAST offered a renewed apology and reiterated its commitment to meeting with Bethan’s family to address outstanding concerns.
As the family await the coroner’s final decisions on systemic reforms, Steve and Jane James hope their long fight will spur meaningful change. “Bethan should be here,” Steve said. “If our struggle means other families are spared the same grief, then maybe something good can come from all this pain.”