The family of a man who died of stomach cancer have raised £700 for district nurses to help them buy an important piece of equipment for terminally ill patients.

When Robert Elliott, 73, was dying, the Blackbird Leys community team had to "beg, borrow and steal" to find a syringe driver - which constantly pumps pain relief medication into a patient's body.

After his death, his family decided to raise money to buy the vital equipment, to ensure other patients are able to stay comfortable in their final days.

His brother Royston organised a disco at Donnington Social Club, Freelands Road, Oxford.

District nurse Pam Lovegrove said: "The syringe driver is a little pump that administers medicine under the skin rather than the patient having to take medicine. It's mainly for terminally ill patients, to give medication like relaxants and pain relief, just to make sure they are comfortable.

"Most district nursing teams are issued with one, but we had an incident once when Mr Elliott needed a syringe driver and another patient was already using it. We had to beg, borrow and steal to get one.

"Having another one is wonderful. We know we'll never be in that situation again. It doesn't usually happen, but it can cause a lot of stress. Some patients can be on syringe drivers for quite a few weeks, so having another one is brilliant."

Eileen Elliott, 69, of Druce Way, Blackbird Leys, said her husband was diagnosed with cancer in March 2003.

In the final weeks of his life he was treated at home by the nurses, before he died last September.

She said: "They used to come in and give him his medicine. He never mentioned anything, but I think he was in pain, so the medicine he had was very important.

"We wanted to give something back as a thank you, but we weren't expecting to raise so much."