Hospital wasn't ready for cricket star Steve James' daughter and had no bed for her - as inquest hears prompt sepsis treatment could have saved 21-year-old

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

A hospital was not ready for the tragic daughter of an England cricket star when she fell critically ill and there was no bed available for her, an inquest has heard.
Bethan James, 21, daughter of ex-England and Glamorgan batsman Steve James, may have survived if medics had given her the correct treatment for sepsis, Pontyridd Coroner's Court heard.
Ms James, who was a journalism student, died just a day after being admitted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on February 9, 2020.
Ambulance staff were called to her home when she fell gravely ill while her father was busy covering a Six Nations rugby match in Dublin.
She had been turned away by various doctors as her condition worsened over several days. But the health workers did not issue a pre-alert to the hospital to warn of Bethan's condition - and had to triage her on arrival.
However when they arrived at the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff, a senior nurse was not at their desk and one in another department said there were no beds available.
Bethan's sports journalist father was unable to get home and see her before she died due to weather delays.
Emergency Medical Technician Aaron Hook said he drove the ambulance to the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff, but did not sound the siren or blue lights as he did not deem it appropriate.
When he arrived at the hospital Ms James waited in the ambulance with paramedic Laura Wilson while Mr Hook attempted to warn medics of her condition.
He said: 'In hindsight you can't fault the treatment itself but in hindsight a pre-alert should have definitely gone in.'
Mr Hook told the inquest he could not find the major assessment nurse in the hospital so went to the resus room only to be told there was no bed available for Bethan.
He said: 'She desperately needed to go in and whether that was majors or resus she just needed to be off-loaded and receive further assessment and treatment.'
In his statement, Mr Hook said: 'I was unable to locate the duty major assessment nurse I decided to enter the resuscitation department to voice my concerns to the nurse in charge.
'I stated the patient's observations had not significantly improved on route despite our treatment and showed them the latest set of observations.
'I informed them that despite our treatment, the patient may be considered suitable for the resuscitation area.
'I was told by the nurse in charge that the patient would not be entering the resuscitation area due to them only having one space remaining.'
Ms James was instead treated in the majors area but later admitted to resus where she died.
A post-mortem examination found Bethan died from a combination of sepsis, pneumonia and Crohn's disease.
She had been diagnosed with Crohn's in the previous months and had been admitted to hospital on a number of occasions in the days leading up to her death, but sepsis was never diagnosed.
Her mother Jane James told the court she felt medical staff missed opportunities to treat her daughter for sepsis and had been 'dismissive' of her condition.
She said: 'It's heartbreaking as a mum to know that her life could have been saved.'
Mrs James described Bethan as a 'caring and beautiful' person who would have made a 'brilliant' journalist.
Bethan fell ill towards the end of January 2020 after feeling unusually tired and short of breath while out with a frien,d but within days her condition had worsened dramatically.
Her mother said Bethan was struggling to hold a cup and couldn't lift her arm.
Her GP arranged an urgent referral at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff on January 27 for her respiratory symptoms to be investigated.
The inquest heard notes from the appointment revealed Bethan may have been suffering from community acquired pneumonia, but Mrs James said neither she nor her daughter were told of that diagnosis.
Mrs James said they had instead been told she may have a chest infection and that she should take antibiotics as a precaution.
Her mother said if the family had been told about 'pneumonia' they would have acted more seriously - and instead Ms James had been determined to go to university to deliver a presentation.
The family took her to A&E at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on Sunday, February 2 and said the triage nurse was 'abrupt' with them.
Her mother said that during the visit, another doctor was also dismissive saying he did not believe her chest symptoms were of 'any significance'.
Instead medics said her symptoms may be due to a hemiplegic migraine, but Mrs James believed Bethan was not fully assessed.
The next day Bethan collapsed after being so exhausted from the hospital visit but was reluctant to return after feeling so dismissed by medics.
On February 5, her symptoms worsened again and when they returned to A&E Bethan felt humiliated when Dr Chen Wen Ngua, allegedly told her: 'You again! You were here on Sunday.'
Mrs James described Dr Ngua as 'very, very dismissive'.
Medics recorded her heart rate as so high they assumed the machine was broken.
Her mum said: 'She was so unwell. They didn't appreciate how unwell she was.'
Ms James was admitted to hospital by paramedics on February 8, 2020 and after eventually being given a bed she died the following day.
The hearing was told that Bethan suffered a cardiac arrest after an anaesthetist sedated her.
'As soon as I walked in, I knew she was dead,' her mother said.
She told the inquest that at no point was the possibility that her daughter had sepsis mentioned and that the proper protocol could have saved her life.
The inquest in Pontypridd before Senior Coroner Patricia Morgan continues.