Coroner Rules Student Died from Hospital-Acquired Sepsis

A coroner has ruled that a 20-year-old mathematics student from Wigan, Greater Manchester, died from sepsis contracted through inadequate hand hygiene at a Manchester cancer hospital, rather than directly from his underlying cancer condition. Joshua Abbott-Littler passed away in the early hours of June 26, 2025, at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, just weeks after being diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of leukemia.

Abbott-Littler, described during the inquest as an intelligent and very talented young man who enjoyed music, gigs, and festivals, was pursuing a master's degree in mathematics at Lancaster University when he received his initial cancer diagnosis in 2023. That year, he was found to have Hodgkin lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy treatment at The Christie. By May 2024, he had achieved remission, ringing the hospital's ceremonial bell to mark his all-clear status and appearing fit and well over the following summer.

His health deteriorated abruptly the next year. On June 8, 2025, Abbott-Littler was diagnosed with treatment-induced acute myeloid leukemia, a rare complication triggered by prior chemotherapy. He first sought care at the Royal Albert Edward...