The family of a Bristol woman who died after receiving a lethal overdose of an anti-cancer drug have accused doctors of a cover-up.

Anna McKenna, from Knowle, was accidentally given four times the chemotherapy she needed to treat her bone marrow cancer.

Yesterday one of her daughters told an inquest that relatives felt there had been a "conspiracy to conceal" the overdose.

But one of the doctors involved in the mother-of-five's treatment rejected the suggestion, telling the hearing it was "completely untrue".

Mrs McKenna was given 60mg of Idarubicin each day for four days, rather than 60mg over four days, in March 2006.

The 56-year-old died at the Bristol Oncology Centre a month later, after the overdose had destroyed most of her white blood cells.

Flax Bourton Coroners' Court has heard that Dr Jacqueline James, a consultant at Frenchay Hospital, admitted to incorrectly filling out the prescription. And failings in the pharmacy at the hospital meant the mistake was not picked up.

Yesterday Nancy McKenna, 42, told the inquest jury that after her mother's admission to the oncology centre on March 27, relatives repeatedly told doctors of their concerns of a possible overdose.

Pausing to control her emotions as she read her statement, Miss McKenna said: "The loss of my mother has had a devastating effect on my family and we can't come to terms with the way she was taken away from us so suddenly.

"It is hard to think about the way she had to deal with the drugs that took away her immune system, and finally her life.

"I remember my mum asking how she could take all those tablets every day. We had to persuade her to do it.

"We said 'come on mum, you need to take this for us, we need you. This will help you prolong your life'."

Miss McKenna told the inquest that when her mother was first admitted to the oncology centre, the registrar was shocked at the levels of drugs she had been given.

She said the family repeatedly told doctors their fears of an overdose but medical staff said they weren't aware of the family's concerns until two days before Mrs McKenna's death.

Miss McKenna said: "My brothers got very angry and felt they were trying to cover up mistakes made by Frenchay Hospital. No one would answer our questions, but everyone was aware of what was going on with my mother, she had an overdose.

"It felt like it was a conspiracy to conceal that, until they got frightened and called the coroner."

Dr Stephen Robinson, a consultant haematologist who treated Mrs McKenna during her last few weeks, firmly denied there had been a cover-up of the overdose.

He said: "It is completely untrue.

"Everything I do in my medical practice is for the benefit of the patient and their family. I tried to explain to them what was happening, and at the first suggestion of worries of a serious overdose I had it clear in my mind that there would be a requirement to report it to the coroner."

Dr Robinson said he had no knowledge of suggestions of an overdose until April 16, two days before Mrs McKenna's death. He said the possibility was raised at a senior doctors' meeting on April 6, but it was felt other causes of her prolonged illness were far more plausible.

A subsequent letter from Dr James stated, incorrectly, that the chemotherapy dosage had been correct.

And Dr Robinson told the court that even if they had known about an overdose from the beginning, nothing could have been done differently to save Mrs McKenna.

An expert witness brought in to review the case said that it was impossible to say whether Mrs McKenna would have died when she did if the overdose had not occurred.

Dr Kwee Yong, a reader in haematology at University College London Hospitals, also said she felt the overall care Mrs McKenna had received was of a high standard.

The inquest continues tomorrow.