BBC Breakfast guests break down in tears recounting death of 21-year-old daughter after her deadly symptoms were ‘dismissed’ – sobbing ‘she could have survived with the right treatment’

Two heartbroken parents broke down in tears as they described their 21-year-old daughter’s tragic death from sepsis on Tuesday’s episode of BBC Breakfast.

Former England cricket star Steve, 58, and his wife Jane said they lost their daughter Bethan James in 2020 after health officials failed to detect the symptoms of the deadly disease in time.

Presenter Sally Nugent, who introduced the heartbroken couple, said: ‘The parents of a young Cardiff woman who died because sepsis was not detected early enough are calling for better training to diagnose the condition.

‘Bethan James was 21 when she died six years ago after life-saving treatment was delayed.

‘BBC research has found that sepsis awareness training is still not mandatory in most hospitals in Wales, despite it being one of the UK’s biggest killers.’

As reported by the NHS, sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to an infection that can be characterized by often difficult-to-spot symptoms such as skin staining, difficulty breathing and agitation.

Steve and his wife Jane said they lost their daughter Bethan James (pictured) in 2020 after medics failed to detect signs of the deadly disease in time.

Describing their daughter’s death, the couple said through tears that when Bethan was taken to hospital after being turned away five times, her vital signs were critical but she was not immediately taken into intensive care.

There were various symptoms of sepsis, such as blotchy skin and difficulty breathing, but none of these were recognized as the condition until it was too late.

Jane said: ‘They were quite dismissive of his symptoms. At that time, his pulse was high, his blood pressure was low, and he had to be in intensive care. [They] He should have been following sepsis protocol.

‘The worst part is that I know he could have survived if he had been given the right treatment and I don’t want any other family to go through this.’

A later inquest into Bethan’s untimely death found that she would have survived if she had been given appropriate treatment sooner.

Around 50,000 people die from sepsis every year in the UK.

Commenting on the BBC’s investigation into the matter, reporter Wyre Davies said: ‘We discovered that sepsis awareness training is not compulsory for clinical staff in the majority of hospitals in Wales, including the hospital where Bethan died.

‘Steve and Jane want sepsis awareness training… [They are] They couldn’t come to terms with the idea that if they lived elsewhere in the country Bethan would still be here.’

Describing their daughter’s death, the couple said through tears that when Bethan was taken to hospital after being turned away five times, her vital signs were critical but she was not immediately taken into intensive care.

Following the revelations in the BBC investigation, social media commentators were quick to comment on similar experiences with the disease on social media.

Following the revelations in the BBC investigation, social media commentators were quick to share similar experiences with the disease on social media.

One viewer shared: ‘My wife almost died from sepsis. If our daughter hadn’t called me from work and I hadn’t told her to hang up immediately and call 000, she would have died.

‘Doctors said even an hour later he probably wouldn’t have made it if he had been taken to hospital.’

Another said: ‘My sister died of sepsis. And this too could have been prevented. It breaks my heart.”

A third shared: ‘I recently lost my mum to sepsis, had to argue with her [the] The community ambulance team said it was not sepsis because there was no fever.

‘An hour later [she was] He was taken to A&E [and] blood test showed sepsis. [She] passed away a few days later, B4 District Nurses said they had seen worse no problem [sic].’

A later inquest into Bethan’s untimely death found that she would have survived had she been given appropriate treatment sooner; their parents are now campaigning for more awareness and education about the disease

A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board told the Daily Mail: ‘Our deepest condolences and heartfelt condolences are with Bethan’s family and loved ones. We are aware of how long and troublesome this process is for them.

‘The coroner’s inquest in June 2025 examined the circumstances of Bethan’s care in 2020. The coroner acknowledged the complexity and severity of his illness and identified areas where delays in recognition and communication contributed to avoidable delay. However, the coroner accepted that the Health Board had taken steps to address the issues raised and remained committed to continued improvement.

‘Sepsis awareness and early diagnosis are priorities for the organisation. While required training varies by role, we provide a wide range of clinical tools, training and resources to support staff. We continually review our sepsis training framework to improve consistency and accessibility and strengthen support for teams to recognize and respond to patient deterioration. We have fully implemented NEWS2 across the organisation, supporting early recognition and treatment of deteriorating patients.

‘As an organisation, we welcomed the opportunity for the Chief Executive, Medical Director and Executive Nurse Director to meet with Mr and Mrs James to discuss their daughter’s care. We take what we learned from this tragic case very seriously and continue to strengthen ways to improve treatment outcomes for patients presenting with infection-related symptoms. Emergency and critical care teams continue to work with the Welsh Ambulance Service to support timely handover and escalation. ‘

Breakfast airs daily from 6am on BBC One and can be watched on iPlayer.