Hospital visits in Oxford could become easier as calls step up for more free shuttle buses between the city’s park & rides and the John Radcliffe Hospital.

A proposal due to be tabled at next week's full Oxford City Council meeting aims to benefit those who are on low-incomes, as well as those who live further out from the city, who need to travel to the hospital regularly. 

The new shuttle buses to start their journeys at the park and ride sites and make direct journeys to John Radcliffe Hospital, while separate shuttle buses would serve Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Churchill Hospital and Warneford Hospital.

Oxford Community Independent councillor Edward Mundy put forward the motion, which was seconded by fellow councillor Hosnieh Djafari-Marbini.

The motion will be brought to the full council meeting on Monday, November 25.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire teen rape victim praised for 'tremendous dignity'

The notes for the motion point out the difficulty that both hospital visitors and staff face when trying to get to hospital.

It said: “Visitors to hospital often find journeys impacted by congestion, potentially missing appointments.

“Employees at our hospitals often do shift work, which can involve start and finish times very late and/or very early, when public buses are less frequent.

“Current hospital shuttles between John Radcliffe and Churchill have limited hours (Monday to Friday only) and are strictly for hospital staff only.

A file image of buses in Oxford A file image of buses in Oxford (Image: Oxford Mail) “With housing costs so high, many of our workers are commuting from local towns, where direct bus routes to hospitals may be rare or non-existent.”

The notes add that the shuttles will have fast journey times due to the minimal stops along the route.

If the motion is passed, councillor Lousie Upton, the cabinet member for transport liaison, will write to councillor Andrew Gant County, cabinet member for transport for Oxfordshire County Council, to express the need for improved transport to the hospital.

She will also be asked to liaise with local bus companies, the teams running park & ride sites in Oxford, hospitals and the county council for support and funding.

It comes after a vital bus service linking Kidlington and Summertown with Oxford’s hospitals and park and ride sites was saved in the summer of 2023. 

The 700 route, which serves the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, and Thornhill and Oxford Parkway park and rides, was set to be withdrawn as it was not commercially viable.

As a result, Oxfordshire County Council stepped in with financial support to enable Oxford Bus Company (OBC) to operate the service – which was used by more than 350,000 passengers in the past year – until late August this year. 

Help support trusted local news 

Sign up for a digital subscription now: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/subscribe/

As a digital subscriber you will get:      

  • Unlimited access to the Oxford Mail website   
  • Advert-light access       
  • Reader rewards       
  • Full access to our app

About the author  

Esme is a Local Democracy Reporter covering politics, planning and council meetings across the county. 

She joined the Oxford Mail in October 2024 after completing a Master's in Journalism at the University of Sheffield.

Esme achieved a BA in History at Cambridge University before going down the journalism path.

She can be found on X by searching @esme_kenney.