Russells Hall Hospital acts swiftly over contaminated baby feed
Bosses at a Black Country hospital said they acted immediately to prevent any babies from coming to harm when it emerged a contaminated bag of feed had reached the unit.
Russells Hall in Dudley was among hospitals that were sent contaminated feed, which is being linked to the deaths of three babies. No babies were given the food at Russells Hall.
Pharmaceutical company ITH Pharma has been charged over the supply of contaminated feed for premature babies.
Diane Wake, chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS Trust, which runs Russells Hall, said action was taken quickly when staff were informed of the potential danger.
She also said she was proud of work being done within the maternity unit.
Ms Wake said: "It is important to make it clear that the investigation undertaken by police is into a pharmaceutical company and not into our neonatal unit.
"Our only involvement is that we received one of the affected bags of baby feed in 2014. It was not given to any baby.
"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.
"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, based in London, 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 that patients were not infected by contaminants. A court hearing has been fixed for December. The firm has pledged to ‘vigorously defend’ the case.
