A woman injected her elderly mum with a potentially lethal dose of insulin because she wanted her to be given better care, a court heard.

Irene Robson was admitted to the Horton General Hospital last October after suffering a fall at her home.

Her daughter Julia Knight admitted to Oxford Crown Court that she had forged a prescription for insulin and administered it to 81-year-old Ms Robson.

The court heard that Ms Robson had then suffered a hypoglycaemic attack, causing her to pass in and out of consciousness and froth at the mouth before the alarm was raised and medics saved her life.

 Knight denies trying to murder her mum, and told a jury of seven men and five women today she only wanted to cause Ms Robson to have a "blip" so that medics would see she was too ill to go home.

The court heard Ms Robson's health had deteriorated since she was diagnosed with leukaemia, suffering a heart attack, falls and brain haemorrhage.

Knight said she was worried her mum would be sent home without enough support, so she forged a prescription for insulin at the West Bar GP Practice, where she worked as a nurse, using a real patient's record on the morning of Tuesday, October 7.

The 56-year-old then went to her mum's bedside at the Banbury hospital and administered a 1ml dose of the hormone usually used to treat type 1 diabetes.

She told the court: "I had been concerned about mum coming home, I needed to do something to make them sit up and see that she wasn't well.

"They were going to send her home again with no care package, with no thought to her health failing.

"I wanted her to be a little bit poorly, just to have a bit of a blip so that they would sit up and take notice and think we cannot send this lady home.

"I just wanted someone to take care of her."

Knight's voice broke repeatedly as she gave evidence to the jury, admitting she had initially lied to police about administering the insulin because she was "ashamed" and "terrified".

The jury was told Ms Robson had no history of diabetes.

Knight, of Sycamore Drive, Banbury, denies attempting to murder her mum or intending to cause her grievous bodily harm.

The trial continues.