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Saturday 3 December 2011

UK: Nurse Sacked From Saline Poisoning Hospital

A nurse who was arrested and then released without charge after saline solution bags were tampered with at a hospital has lost her job.

Sky sources said Stepping Hill Hospital, in Stockport, sacked Rebecca Leighton after she admitted stealing drugs from the hospital.
The 28-year-old told the Nursing and Midwifery Council she had taken opiate-based drugs, but said they were for her own use to treat a throat infection.
Police said 19 patients were poisoned when insulin was unlawfully administered at the Greater Manchester Hospital earlier this year.
Detectives are still investigating whether the poisoning contributed to the deaths of three of those people - Tracey Arden, Arnold Lancaster and Alfred Weaver.
The alarm was first raised on July 12 when a higher than normal number of patients were reported to have "unexplained" low blood sugar levels.
Officers have so far interviewed 650 witnesses.
Charges that Miss Leighton tampered with saline solution with intent to endanger life were dropped in September. She had spent more than six weeks in custody.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council later lifted its suspension of Miss Leighton, who has always denied the allegations, and said she could return to work if the hospital approved.
Stockport Hospital Foundation, who dismissed her after an internal inquiry, declined to comment on the sacking. It is understood she has a right to appeal.
Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said the police investigation was "immensely challenging", adding: "For obvious reasons, I cannot go into detail about the ongoing work we are doing, suffice to say, this continues to be a search for the truth.
"To that end, we are making good progress and that is in no small part down to the meticulous work of my staff and the excellent co-operation we have had from everyone at Stepping Hill Hospital."
Miss Leighton spoke in September of her "horrendous" ordeal, telling ITV's This Morning of her disbelief when she was arrested at her home in Stockport.

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