Frail and elderly patients are being forced to brave severe weather conditions outside an Oxford hospital because of a missing bus shelter.

NHS watchdogs who oversee the city centre's Radcliffe Infirmary are now urging Oxfordshire County Council to replace the Woodstock Road shelter, which was dismantled last June during repaving work.

Council workers say the new £8,000 structure will be installed later this month.

Visitors and staff are asked to use the Pear Tree park-and-ride instead of driving to the RI, which has limited parking compared to the Churchill and John Radcliffe Hospitals in Headington.

But Jacqui Pearce-Gervis, chairman of the patient and public involvement forum, is concerned that many ill people have to wait in the cold.

She said: "There are people cowering against the wall, including very sick patients and people in wheelchairs.

"We've rung the council, but nothing seems to be happening, which seems totally heartless. In this cold weather it's horrendous for people waiting for their buses."

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, responsible for the RI, is also pressing the council to replace the shelter.

Deputy county area engineer Ashley Prior said the bus shelter was ordered in October.

He said: "The supplier has let us down. I've called them continuously, and even threatened to withdraw our order, and now they've said they'll deliver it next Friday.

"It's a standard shelter, which was ordered to match others in the city."

Mr Prior added: "I'd like to apologise to everyone who has had to wait at the bus stop in the rain."