Portsmouth care workers feed dog food to vulnerable woman

Care workers employed by GP Homecare Ltd, trading as Radis, and contracted by Portsmouth City Council fed frozen dog food to an elderly woman, referred to as Mrs Y, during the final months of her life. The workers misread the product label, believing it to be a "lamb dinner," and served three mouthfuls to the bedridden patient after she suffered a mini‑stroke and was placed on a soft‑diet plan.

An investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman concluded that Mrs Y experienced a "significant personal injustice," citing prolonged periods of unattended care, inaccurate visit logs, and a mishandled Do‑Not‑Attempt‑Resuscitation document. Portsmouth City Council issued an apology, launched a Section 42 safeguarding enquiry, and Radis began an internal probe. The incident, discovered in mid‑June 2024, highlighted systemic oversight failures within the home‑care service.

The council’s inquiry and Radis’s investigation are ongoing, with the aim of preventing similar neglect and improving management of vulnerable adults receiving home care.