BOSSES at Dudley’s hospital trust have today admitted Russells Hall was among hospitals that received contaminated baby feed but have stressed it was never administered.

The Metropolitan Police have been investigating after 23 babies at nine hospitals fell ill – three of whom died – and pharmaceutical company ITH Pharma Ltd has been charged with supplying hospitals with contaminated feed for premature babies.

Diane Wake, chief executive at the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust which runs Russells Hall Hospital, said “one of the affected bags was delivered to the trust in 2014” but she stressed “it was not administered to any baby”.

She said: “Our pharmacy team was informed of an issue with the batch of feed and the bag was immediately quarantined. It was sent off for analysis which helped to identify the contaminant.”

She went on to praise the trust’s maternity unit and added: "I would like to assure everyone that our maternity services were rated good by the Care Quality Commission and I am very proud of our maternity and neonatal staff who help deliver and care for almost 4,500 babies every year."

ITH Pharma Ltd has been charged with seven counts of supplying a medicinal product which was not of the nature or quality specified in the prescription and with failing to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure patients were not infected by contaminants.

Bosses of the company have vowed to vigorously defend the charges which are linked to seven babies.