Fatal cardiac arrest 'could have been avoided', inquest told

SERIOUSLY unwell 21-year-old woman would have “likely survived” if medics had acted appropriately sooner, an expert witness has told the coroner overseeing the inquest into her death.

- LUCY JOHN

Bethan James, the daughter of former Glamorgan and England cricketer Steve James, died on February 8, 2020, just a few hours after being admitted to the University Hospital of Wales (UHW) in Cardiff.

The ongoing inquest into her death, which began on Tuesday, at Pontypridd Coroner's Court, has heard that she died of sepsis and pneumonia. Her illness was complicated by the immune-suppressing effects of Crohn's disease, it was heard.

Budding journalist Bethan’s father Steve, a highly respected sports journalist himself, 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.

During the third day of the inquest yesterday, coroner Patricia Morgan heard evidence from Dr Duncan Thomas, who treated Bethan at hospital.

He said he was surprised by how quickly her condition worsened when she was brought into UHW, and expressed “frustration” that Ms James had not been brought to the resuscitation area - used for treating the most seriously ill patients - earlier.

However, he did not believe there was anything that could have been done to save her.