A hospital relocation team is counting down to its 'D-Day' with military precision.

More than 100 patients are expected to be moved in just two days when the John Radcliffe Hospital's west wing and the Oxford Children's Hospital open next year.

Today, the Oxford Mail can exclusively reveal that inpatients at the Radcliffe Infirmary will be relocated to the £135m buildings on the weekend of January 14-15, as part of a three-week transfer expected to cost up to £500,000.

The move, involving 1,600 staff, 250 beds, and clinical equipment, will be the culmination of a two-year project.

The RI in Woodstock Road treats children and adults, and much of its work involves head and neck specialities.

Project director Vickie Holcroft said pre-arranged hospital treatment known as elective work would be reduced during the relocation phase to limit the number of patients involved.

By limiting normal inpatient numbers by 50 per cent, she hopes an estimated 125 people or fewer will have to take part in the move.

To accomplish this, many patients will be given appointments quicker than normal but no-one's treatment will be delayed.

Mrs Holcroft said: "The one good thing is that we would generally get quieter over Christmas anyway, so it'll be quite effective. We'll deal with some emergencies, but there'll be arrangements with other health care providers to take on patients.

"Some patients may be admitted sooner, but no-one will be admitted later, because we want to complete the move without disrupting our waiting time targets.

"An emergency theatre will also stay open at the RI until all patients have gone."

Developers will hand over keys to the new buildings in December, ready for the move to start on Monday, January 2. Departments like patient records will be the first to relocate, followed by the main clinical units a week later.

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust is liaising with the Oxfordshire Ambulance Service about plans to move patients, while removal firms are being invited to bid for the transfer contract.

Even Thames Valley Police has been involved in the project to advise on the best times for the move, to minimise disruption on the 3.4-mile journey between the city centre and Headington sites.

Assistant project manager Claire Kenee-Webb said: "We have to control the logistics ourselves because we only have a certain amount of entrances and space, and we can't have removal vans queued up on Headley Way.

"It'll be the same with patients. Nobody will be allowed to leave the RI in their own car. While patients are in our care we have a responsibility to them, so they'll either be discharged or moved by ambulance.

"We'll carry out patient assessments to ensure their suitability to move. There'll be arrangements in place for people to stay at the RI until they're well enough to move we'll never put anyone at risk.

"Even if their department or ward has gone, there'll be a place for them to stay with the relevant staff until they are well enough to move.

"Some people may even be moved slightly earlier because of their health and then they'll return to the relevant wards and departments once all the disruption has ended."

Once empty, the RI will be handed over to Oxford University