BBC Breakfast has shared the heartbreaking story of a young woman who died from sepsis
Sara Baalla Screen Time TV Reporter
09:23, 10 Feb 2026Updated 09:32, 10 Feb 2026
BBC Breakfast star makes emotional death announcement live on air(Image: BBC)
BBC Breakfast star Sally Nugent made an emotional death announcement live on Tuesday’s (February 10) show. During the morning broadcast, Sally presented the day’s headlines from across Britain and internationally, whilst her colleague Jon Kay provided political coverage directly from Downing Street.
Joining Sally at the Salford studios were Carol Kirkwood, who gave regular meteorological updates, and John Watson, who covered the sporting news. During the programme, Sally revealed the tragic story of a 21-year-old who lost her life to sepsis six years ago. Bethan James’s bereaved parents are now advocating for improved training in diagnosing one of Britain’s most deadly conditions.
“The parents of a young woman from Cardiff who died after sepsis wasn’t spotted early enough are calling for better training to diagnose the condition,” Sally explained.
“Bethan James was 21 when she died six years ago after life-saving treatment was delayed. It comes as a BBC investigation finds sepsis awareness training is still not mandatory at most hospitals in Wales, despite being one of the UK’s biggest killers,” reports the Mirror.
21-year-old Bethan James died from sepsis six years ago(Image: BBC)
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A pre-recorded package then aired, featuring Bethan’s parents, Steve and Jane, who gave an emotional account of their daughter’s symptoms.
In early 2020, Bethan had been unwell for several days, but her father Steve travelled to Ireland for work after receiving medical reassurance that Bethan would recover – a choice he says he “will always regret”. By the time she arrived at hospital, Bethan had an early warning score of eight. Her vital signs were critical, yet neither the ambulance crew nor Cardiff’s university hospital provided Bethan with the intensive care her deteriorating condition desperately needed.
Bethan’s mother, Jane, said: “They were just quite dismissive of her symptoms. Her heart rate was high, her blood pressure was lower at that time and she should have been in intensive care. [They] should have been following the sepsis protocol.”
The heartbroken mother then became emotional, stating: “The worst thing is I know she could have survived had she had the right treatment, and I don’t want any other family to go through this.”
Bethan’s parents are campaigning for better awareness(Image: BBC)
The coroner at Bethan’s inquest determined that she would have survived if her care and treatment had not been delayed. Six years following her death and other comparable high-profile cases, her parents maintain nothing has improved.
Almost 50,000 individuals die annually from sepsis, exceeding the combined deaths from breast cancer, bowel cancer and prostate cancer. “Yet, there are glaring inconsistencies in recognition and treatment,” reporter Wyre Davies noted.
“We discovered that sepsis awareness training is not mandatory for clinical staff at most Welsh hospitals, including the one where Bethan died.” Wyre added: “Steve and Jane want sepsis awareness training… [They are] unable to reconcile that if they’d live in another part of the country, Bethan would still be here.”
BBC Breakfast airs daily on BBC One at 6am
Information about the signs and symptoms of sepsis can be found on The UK Sepsis Trust website
