A contractor providing home care services has issued an apology after a vulnerable woman was fed a meal meant for a visiting family dog. Radis Homecare stated it is "deeply sorry" following the incident involving staff who gave the dog food to a Portsmouth woman.
It had previously been reported that a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation concluded the woman suffered "significant personal injustice". The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed, was given dog food during the final months of her life by care staff.
Incident details and response
The incident involved care workers from Radis, who had been contracted to deliver home care services on behalf of Portsmouth City Council. Both organisations have issued apologies.
The woman was also subjected to force-feeding and, on occasion, was not provided with any food whatsoever. She was additionally left unattended for "prolonged periods of time".
Alarmingly, a 'Do Not Attempt Resuscitation' (DNAR) document was discovered "scrunched up in a cupboard". The Local Democracy Reporting Service put a series of questions to Radis concerning how the dog food came to be purchased and documented as a "lamb dinner", what action was taken regarding the staff members involved, and what measures would be implemented to safeguard patient dignity going forward.
Radis apologises and takes action
A Radis spokesperson explained that the support worker had "mistakenly" served a "vacuum-packed meal that was intended for a visiting family dog".
"It was labelled as dog food and should never have been served to the woman. The product was stored in the woman's freezer and was commercially packaged in a way that resembled a human ready meal. Once heated, it also had the appearance of human food."
Nevertheless, they acknowledged that it "should have been checked and identified correctly" and that the "packaging may provide some context as to how the mistake occurred, but it does not excuse it".
"We fully acknowledge how shocking and distressing this was, and we do not seek to minimise or excuse what happened."
It was confirmed that the "support worker who prepared the meal is no longer employed by Radis", while a second member of staff faced disciplinary proceedings. Radis stated it is "deeply sorry for the distress caused to the person we supported who was at the centre of this case and her family".
"We accept that aspects of the care she received, and of our management oversight, fell below the standards they had every right to expect."
Measures implemented
The firm said it had implemented "significant steps" following the incident, including "strengthened care planning and review, guidance around nutrition and hydration, medication oversight, record keeping, the handling of DNAR documentation, staff supervision and safeguarding escalation".
"We have also enhanced safeguarding training for managers and team leaders, strengthened audit and quality-assurance arrangements, reviewed our safeguarding and whistleblowing processes, and developed our digital care-planning and oversight systems."
Radis confirmed it "made the decision to give notice on the Portsmouth contract and voluntarily withdrew from providing services on the 1st of December 2025".
"We remain committed to upholding our values of professionalism, teamwork, integrity, innovation and excellence, and to ensuring those values are reflected consistently in the care and support we provide."
