Hertfordshire council and care firm warned over dead man's 'breakfast'

Hertfordshire County Council, which commissioned First Choice Medical Solutions to provide care on its behalf, has apologised to the family

A carer falsely claimed to have given a man his breakfast when he had actually died hours earlier, a report has said.

The man's daughter complained about the care, commissioned by Hertfordshire County Council, to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).

The incident caused her "severe and avoidable distress", the ombudsman's report said.

The council said it had made "significant changes" since the "one-off incident".

The council arranged for First Choice Medical Solutions to provide care for the man after he came out of hospital, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A carer visited him in July 2019 and "falsified daily care notes" to say he had been seen and given breakfast, the report said.

But a neighbour called emergency services later that day after discovering he was dead.

The firm told the ombudsman the carer had been involved in a minor accident that morning.

It had since changed its work practices, including cancelling the shifts of any carer who reported being involved in an accident, the report said.

'Won't happen again'

The council, which held a safeguarding investigation, told the firm to inform carers they would be dismissed if they falsified records.

The firm must also deliver more training for staff.

The ombudsman upheld the complaint.

A council spokesman said it had apologised to the family.

"While this was a one-off incident, and not the result of any wider problem, we do take it very seriously and have made significant changes to policies and procedures to ensure that it won't happen again," he said.

First Choice Medical Solutions said it had followed all the ombudsman's recommendations.

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