A ‘talented’ student who beat cancer died after contracting sepsis due to ‘poor hospital hygiene’, a coroner has concluded.
Joshua Abbot-Littler rang the ‘all clear’ bell at The Christie Cancer Hospital in south Manchester in May 2024 after successfully undergoing chemotherapy and proton beam therapy to tackle his Hodgkin lymphoma.
But a year later, he was back in hospital, where he was treated for pneumonia and sepsis.
The 20-year-old was taken to Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan, after experiencing ‘flu-like symptoms’ with worsening chest pains, sore throat, tiredness and spontaneous bruising.
Joshua, from Wigan, was eventually diagnosed with treatment-induced acute myeloid leukaemia – a rare, aggressive form of the disease triggered by certain cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy or radiation.
He was re-admitted to The Christie, where he died on June 26 from sepsis caused by a bacterial infection.
Yesterday, an inquest at Manchester Coroners’ Court was told how he contracted an infection due to cross-contamination from ‘inadequate adherence’ to hand hygiene on the ward.
A report into his death found that a strain of bacteria which caused Joshua to be admitted into the critical care unit was the same as that of another patient on the ward.
Coroner Andrew Bridgman said this was ‘one of the more tragic inquests, labelling his circumstances of death as ‘devastating’ for the family, as he offered his condolences.
Joshua Abbot-Littler had beaten cancer in 2024, but died just a year later after contracting sepsis
The inquest heard Joshua was a ‘talented’ and ‘intelligent’ young man, who enjoyed music, gigs and festivals.
He was studying a masters degree in maths at Lancaster University, but was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2023.
A year later, he was described as being ‘fit and well’ after being given the all clear that he had beaten cancer in May 2024.
The inquest heard Joshua was then sadly diagnosed with treatment-induced acute myeloid leukaemia on June 8 – a rare, aggressive form of cancer triggered by undergoing certain cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy.
He was then re-admitted to The Christie, but died in the early hours of June 26.
The coroner concluded that Joshua died from multiple organ failure caused from sepsis following a bacterial infection, which he had contracted through cross-contamination from another patient on the ward.
His cause of death was split into multiple organ failure, multidrug-resistant sepsis spread through cross-contamination from another patient on the ward, and treatment-induced acute myeloid leukaemia.
However, his Hodgkin lymphoma was stated to not have directly caused his death.
Joshua Abbot-Littler rang the ‘all clear’ bell at The Christie Cancer Hospital in south Manchester in May 2024
In the days leading up to Joshua’s death, his condition rapidly worsened, and he suffered multiple organ failure.
An echocardiogram showed that his heart function was severely impaired at 35 per cent compared to the expected 55-60 per cent.
Following Joshua’s death, a PSII (Patient Safety Incident Investigation) report from the NHS trust found that the strain of bacteria which had caused him to be admitted into the critical care unit was the same as another patient on the ward.
This indicated that the bacteria had been contracted via cross contamination.
The report said that staff members must use an aseptic non-touch technique (ANTT) to prevent contamination of any susceptible areas, such as a catheter.
The method aims to prevent microorganisms from entering the patient’s body through staff members’ hands or surfaces.
Joshua had a PICC line (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter) inserted into his vein, which would have required ANTT to prevent cross-contamination.
The report added that poor compliance of appropriate hand hygiene and control measures including ANTT is ‘highly likely’ to be the cause which introduced the infection into Joshua’s bloodstream.
The Christie accepted cross-contamination as well as lapses of infection control and prevention, the coroner said.
Coroner Bridgman concluded that although Joshua’s death was reported as resulting from the treatment from previous cancer, that was ‘overtaken by the inadequate adherence to antiseptic techniques’.
A spokesperson for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘We offer our sincere condolences to Joshua’s family.
‘The safety of our patients is The Christie’s highest priority, and we have stringent infection control measures in place across all our services. Following this incident, we have carried out a thorough review and have already implemented further improvements to strengthen our infection prevention practices to ensure we provide the safest possible care to all our patients.
‘Our thoughts remain with Joshua’s family at this difficult time, and we are deeply sorry for their loss.’
Following his death, Joshua’s family raised money for Young Lives vs Cancer by taking part in a nine-hour walk from Wigan to Southport. The charity supports children with cancer and their families.
Josh’s aunt Rebecca Hughes previously said: ‘He was perfectly fit and well, with no symptoms at all. Then this growth came on his neck.
‘His mum took him to the GP and after testing, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.’
‘He rang the bell in May 2024 and we were just elated,’ Ms Hughes said.
‘We’d had a difficult few years, my dad hadn’t been well, and it was a real blow. So we were ecstatic.
‘He went for regular check-ups at The Christie and he was doing brilliantly. He spent the summer with his friend, he loved music and festivals.’
She said that Josh ‘couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong’ when he became unwell again this summer.
Ms Hughes added that his death had been ‘absolutely devastating’ for his relatives.
‘We’re such a close family and Josh was the first grandchild, the first little nephew, and we absolutely cherished and adored him,’ she said. ‘It was a huge blow for us all.’
She described her nephew as ‘intellectual’ with a wide range of interests, including chess and music.
She said: ‘He went to Holy Family primary school, then St Edmund Arrowsmith. He left with straight nines [the highest grade]. He was a really clever boy.
‘Josh wasn’t big on social media. He loved his music, he went to chess club at uni. He was just a beautiful soul, a really lovely boy.
‘This has given us a focus on doing something positive and kept us going these past weeks.
‘I’m hoping we can make it a regular thing. He would’ve been 21 in January and we’re hoping to mark that with something around that time.’
