A police investigation has been launched after a care worker was accused of hitting a 99-year-old patient.

The carer, who works for Medico Nursing and Homecare, allegedly attacked the elderly woman while visiting her at home in Heston.

A Medico source said the patient was found with bruises on her lip, neck and arm. The care worker was believed to have carried out home visits to the frail woman for the past seven months.

A spokesman for Hounslow police said: “I can confirm police are actively investigating an allegation of assault on a 99-year-old woman. Police will be thoroughly and robustly investigating this incident.

“If any person is found to be responsible we will pursue the matter through the criminal justice system.”

Police, Hounslow Council, the Care Quality Commision (CQC) and Nestor Healthcare - the parent company for Medico - is to hold a “strategy meeting” to decide how to handle the case in line with laws for protecting vulnerable adults. The police spokesman said it was likely to take place once any criminal investigation had been completed.

Simon Theobald, operations director for Nestor Healthcare, said: “We don’t necessarily know if there’s any substance to the allegations as yet, however the police will be involved as part of the safeguarding process.

“At this moment in time we are not allowed to say anything until we have clearance from the safeguarding co-ordinator in Hounslow who will organise a safeguarding meeting. The reason for this is it might compromise any subsequent investigation.

“What we want to do is establish the facts behind the case to see if the allegations are substantiated, and obviously we will take the necessary course of action.”

The council signed a contract with Medico for home care in October 2006. Its staff visit elderly patients in the east and the centre of the borough.

The authority said it was “co-operating fully” with the police investigation.

Owusua Kumi, the Hounslow area business manager for Medico, said: “I’m very conscious about the care worker. We don’t have any proof anything has taken place, and unless it’s established then I wouldn’t want to comment.

“We are talking about someone’s career and until anything is proven, at this moment in time we haven’t been able to evidence it and we can’t say that is the case.”

A spokeswoman for the CQC said: "CQC has been informed of an incident and is liaising with its partner agencies in relation to this. We will continue to monitor the situation and take any action should this be at all required."

Do you know the elderly patient? Contact Paul Teed on 020 8744 4273 or email pteed@london.newsquest.co.uk