The man accused of murdering another man who was left at Tauranga Hospital with critical injuries has pleaded not guilty.

Colin Richard Jeffries-Smith, 26, is accused of the murder of Lance Wayne Waite.

The accused entered a plea of not guilty to the charge via his lawyer at the High Court in Rotorua on Wednesday.

Jeffries-Smith was remanded in custody until a case review hearing on April 11.

A trial date has been set for February 11, 2019.

Waite, 58, was dropped off at Tauranga Hospital on January 3 this year with critical injuries and died that same day.

The death prompted police and Armed Offenders Squad raids at Wilrose Place in Gate Pa, where they believed Jeffries-Smith was prior to Waite being dropped off.