The opening of Oxford's new £109m cancer centre has been delayed until January because building tests have not yet been completed.

The Oxford Cancer Centre at the Churchill Hospital, in Headington, was due to open before the end of the year, but the opening date has now been put back so essential tests can be completed.

Cancer patients are being reassured their treatment will not be affected in any way by the delay.

The centre will provide more than 200 beds and ten operating theatres, bringing cancer services under one roof for the first time.

In September, the trust confirmed that a planning wrangle with the Open Spaces Society over two footpaths running across the site had contributed to delays.

But Helen Peggs, a spokesman for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "This delay has got absolutely nothing to do with the pathways.

"Tests on the building and facilities need to be completed. It's disappointing for staff but hopefully the centre will be open by the end of January.

"The pathways issue is being resolved and will not delay the opening of the centre.

"When we opened the children's hospital we did it in January. It's a good time of year to open a new centre because Christmas and New Year are out of the way."

Services at the centre will include additional medical and surgical beds for patients, and a new radiology department.

Vickie Holcroft, director of relocation at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals, said: "The planned cancer centre on the Churchill site is a large and complex project which will include brand new facilities for cancer, haematology, surgery and diagnostic patients.

"Staff have been working extremely hard preparing for the move, which we had hoped to start within the next few weeks.

"This is not now possible as a number of essential tests of the internal systems and highly specialised clinical equipment have not yet been completed by the construction company.

"Although disappointed at this delay, the trust will not accept the transfer of the new building until these tests are complete.

"It is now hoped that the cancer centre will open its doors to patients in early 2009.

"We can reassure our patients that they will continue to be seen and treated exactly as at present, until the centre opens in the New Year.

"We are looking forward to moving into these state-of-the-art facilities, which will benefit many patients from Oxfordshire and beyond."