Portsmouth City Council has apologised after a vulnerable woman was fed dog food by care workers who misread the label during her final months. The incident occurred in mid-June 2024, when a care worker fed the woman, referred to as Mrs Y, three mouthfuls of microwaved dog food, documented as a "lamb dinner".
Litany of errors
The care workers were employed by Radis, contracted to provide home care services on behalf of the council. An investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found that the care Mrs Y received constituted a "significant personal injustice" as she was regularly left unattended for "prolonged periods of time" or without meals.
Mrs Y was receiving at-home support from GP Homecare Ltd, also known as Radis, after a fall in April 2024 left her with severely restricted mobility and bedridden. Her son raised safeguarding concerns about "lack of management oversight at Radis", including staff failing to refer to her care plan, inaccurate visit logs, and a 'Do Not Attempt Resuscitation' document found "scrunched up in a cupboard".
Feeding incident
After Mrs Y experienced a mini-stroke, her family and Radis agreed she needed a "soft diet due to the increased risk of choking". However, in mid-June 2024, a care worker was discovered feeding her dog food. The worker "only realised the meat was dog food when they noticed the packaging in the kitchen". The food was vacuum-packed, stored in Mrs Y's freezer, and labelled as "fresh take on dog food" and "for adult dogs and puppies".
The care worker tried to contact a senior colleague but their call went unanswered, so they reported the matter in person the following week. A senior manager challenged why they did not remove the dog food or report the incident on the day, and instructed them to remove the dog food from the freezer "to prevent any other care workers doing the same".
Further failings
Following discussions, all parties agreed a new care provider was necessary, but in July 2024 the family delayed the start date due to Mrs Y's deteriorating health, so Radis continued end-of-life care. Mrs Y's daughter alleged that "footage from Mrs Y's home camera showed evidence of a care worker force feeding Mrs Y". Later that month, Mrs Y died from "frailty of old age".
The council's enquiry revealed Mrs Y was "left unattended for prolonged periods and on occasions left wet or in darkness overnight". Staffing levels were "inconsistent", with concerns about workers' "attitude, compassion and respectful communication". There were also "allegations that staff falsified records and that some visits had not taken place despite being recorded".
Apology and action
The ombudsman recommended the council issue an apology, reimburse care charges, and pay a symbolic £1,000 to the family to "recognise significant distress" and the "delays" in the safeguarding investigation. Councillor Matthew Winnington, cabinet member for community wellbeing, health and care, said: "We accept the Ombudsman's findings in full and recognise the seriousness of what happened in this case. We ended our contract with Radis early and we no longer work with, or commission services from them."
He added: "These events happened two years ago, and since then we have taken action to strengthen how we oversee care providers...Our adult social care services recently received a 'good' rating from the Care Quality Commission."
