Scotland Yard has charged three female healthcare assistants with allegations of cruelty against elderly patients at Whipps Cross Hospital in East London.

Confirming the charges against the healthcare assistants, Scotland Yard said the women would face court on charges of neglect or ill-treatment of a number of patients on an elderly ward at East London-based Whipps Cross Hospital.

The three women charged with the allegations are: thirty-five-year-old Sharmilla Gunda from Ilford, Essex; thirty-two-year-old Annette Jackson from Hounslow, West London; and thirty-seven-year-old Akousa Sakyiwaa from Leytonstone, East London.

Apart from charges of neglect of patients, Sakyiwaa will also face charges of common assault, while Gunda will face charges of fraud.

Commenting on the issue, a spokesperson for Barts Health Trust said, "The welfare of our patients is our highest priority at all times and we have co-operated fully and proactively with the police investigation."

The women were slapped with the charges after The Mail exposed allegations of cruelty against the elderly in July. Police launched a probe into the allegations in April after student nurses revealed the three women's delinquencies through a whistle-blowing site run by Barts Health NHS Trust, which operates the hospital.