Andrew Farmer, 85, from Ealing died following the serious incident, which took place on the evening of 18 September.

Anatoliy Podmazko, 70, of no fixed address was charged on Saturday, 20 September with grievous bodily harm and is set to appear at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 17 October.

A hospital spokesperson said: ‘Everyone involved is absolutely devastated by what has happened. Our hearts are with the family of the patient who has died, and we are doing everything we can to support them. We are also supporting the police with their investigation, alongside beginning an investigation under the national patient safety incident response framework.  

‘Safety is our biggest priority, and we know this incident is likely to cause significant concern. We are looking to identify any lessons and improvement actions as quickly as possible, as soon as we understand more about what happened, and how it happened.

‘It is also important to recognise that this is an exceptional situation, and there is nothing to indicate any increased likelihood of similar incidents. To provide additional reassurance, we have extended our Call for Concern 24/7 telephone line for patients and their families to include concerns about the behaviour of other patients.'

Detective inspector Kirsten Hadleigh, who is leading the investigation said: ‘Our thoughts remain with Andrew's family and friends at this undoubtedly difficult time.

‘We remain in close contact with Andrew's loved ones and are keeping them up to date with the progress of our investigation.'