PRESS ASSOCIATION -- A provisional trial date has been set for a 27-year-old nurse charged with contaminating saline at a hospital.
Rebecca Leighton was arrested at her flat last month by detectives investigating the deaths of patients at Stepping Hill in Stockport, Greater Manchester.
She is accused of three counts of criminal damage with intent to endanger life and three counts of being reckless as to whether life was being endangered.
The charges relate to the alleged tampering of saline ampoules, saline bags and medical products.
The Stepping Hill employee, of Buxton Road, Heaviley, is also charged with theft of medicine.
Appearing via videolink at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, Leighton was remanded in custody ahead of a provisional trial on February 28 next year. She is next due to appear in court on October 17 for a plea and case management hearing
Last week, Greater Manchester Police said it is no longer investigating the death of one of five patients at the centre of the tampering probe.
The family of George Keep was told his death no longer formed part of the inquiry. Mr Keep, 84, of Cheadle, died on July 14 after being admitted to the hospital with a broken hip.
Police continue to probe the suspicious deaths last month of Tracey Arden, 44, Arnold Lancaster, 71, Derek Weaver, 83, and Vera Pearson, 84.
The alarm was raised when a higher than normal number of patients were reported to have "unexplained" low blood sugar levels.