Overview
- At a March 17 inquest, the coroner ruled Joshua Abbott‑Littler died from multiple organ failure after multidrug‑resistant sepsis acquired during care at The Christie.
- A Patient Safety Incident Investigation reported that poor hand hygiene and failures to follow aseptic non‑touch technique were highly likely to have introduced bacteria into his bloodstream via a PICC line.
- Genetic analysis showed the infecting strain matched one carried by another patient, and Abbott‑Littler tested positive for CPE before starting specialist antibiotics in critical care on June 25, 2025.
- The Christie NHS Foundation Trust accepted cross‑contamination and lapses in infection control and said it has completed a review and strengthened prevention measures.
- Abbott‑Littler, a Lancaster University student previously in remission from Hodgkin lymphoma, had been diagnosed with treatment‑induced acute myeloid leukaemia on June 8, 2025, before his death on June 26.