The Local Government and Care Service Ombudsman has found that an elderly woman, identified as Mrs Y, was subjected to a "catalogue of errors" in the months before her death, including being fed microwaved dog food. The report concluded that the at-home care she received from GP Homecare Ltd, known as Radis, in Portsmouth was "inadequate, negligent and inhumane."
Failings detailed in report
Mrs Y's family said they were left devastated and unable to grieve properly. The woman, who had reduced mobility and was confined to bed after a fall in April 2024, received care commissioned by Portsmouth City Council. The report found that on some days she "had eaten almost nothing," was given "stale or inedible" food, and was left unattended "for prolonged periods," including overnight and while wet.
In mid-June 2024, care workers fed Mrs Y what was recorded as a "lamb dinner," but they later realized it was dog food after seeing the packaging. The report also noted that a Section 42 enquiry into her care had not started seven weeks after it was allocated, and the Radis manager reported "not knowing how to progress the enquiry and did not seek support."
Family concerns and investigation
Mrs Y's family raised concerns shortly after her care began, with her son submitting formal safeguarding concerns. An investigation discovered that care workers were unaware she required a soft diet following a mini-stroke. In early July, as her health declined, Radis began providing end-of-life care, but the family alleged that footage from a home camera showed a care worker force-feeding Mrs Y.
The report listed multiple failings, including poor repositioning, inadequate food provision, failure to monitor food intake, medication inaccessible to Mrs Y, being left unattended and wet, inconsistent staffing, unintentional feeding of dog food, alleged forceful feeding, failure to follow speech and language therapy plans, out-of-date care plans, staff not knowing how to access care plans, falsified records, and high staff turnover.
Ombudsman's conclusion and response
The ombudsman stated: "As a result of the enquiry, it has been identified that there was a catalogue of errors in relation to the care and support [Mrs Y] received from Radis in the last few months of her life." The report proposed that the council apologise, refund care fees, and offer a symbolic £1,000 payment to the family.
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 that adult social care services recently received a 'good' rating from the Care Quality Commission.
Radis Community Care said it "voluntarily withdrew" from providing services in Portsmouth at the end of 2025 and has since improved its services and procedures. A spokesperson said: "The fact that dog food was mistakenly provided was wholly unacceptable."
