Pensioners in North Oxford are stepping up their campaign for a bus route to be extended so they can reduce the stress of getting to hospital appointments.

At present, the number 14 bus run by Stagecoach only goes to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Headington via Marston Ferry Road, but then turns round and comes straight back.

In May, elderly residents living in warden-controlled flats at Ritchie Court, in Banbury Road, called for Stagecoach and the county council to extend the service to serve the Churchill Hospital.

Now hundreds of residents across Oxford have signed a petition and will present it to county councillors at a transport committee later this month to urge them to subsidise the service.

The petition says the Number 14 bus could also be extended to serve the Nuffield and Warneford hospitals, and the main Brookes University campus in Gypsy Lane.

Jean Fooks, Liberal Democrat city and county councillor for North Oxford, said: "There have been major changes in the health service but the transport links, including this bus service, have not been properly updated to reflect the new services that have been provided.

"In April, there will be a new cancer centre opening at the Churchill Hospital and we need to ensure that people can get there, particularly elderly patients.

"Even if they can drive, parking in the area is difficult, so we would like the bus services to do a better job.

"We will present this petition to the council's transport committee on November 22."

Ms Fooks added that the county council, which subsidises the service, had so far refused to extend the route, suggesting the change would cost the authority £100,000 a year.

When the Radcliffe Infirmary closed in January, services for the elderly were relocated to the new £135m West Wing at the JR.

But some pensioners need to use services based at the Churchill Hospital.

Ms Fooks added: "Stagecoach may not want to pay the cost of extending the route, but perhaps the county council could do more in terms of providing a subsidy.

"Something needs to be done because the situation at the moment is very unsatisfactory for a lot of people - this is not just an issue affecting North Oxford."

The number 14 service runs from Oxford railway station, through the city centre and along Banbury Road and Marston Ferry Road to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

The 14A service takes a similar route, but goes round Marston before arriving at the John Radcliffe.

The Oxford Bus Company ran the number 14 route until June last year, when Stagecoach was awarded the route by the county council in a tendering process. The old OBC service used to continue as far as the Churchill Hospital.

Stagecoach spokesman Chris Child said the company was happy to listen to passengers' concerns, but an extension of the route would have to be discussed in detail with the council.

Ian Hudspeth, the county council's cabinet member for transport implementation, said: "We are happy to listen to the residents' concerns and receive the petition at the meeting."