The last patients at Oxford's Radcliffe Infirmary will today be transported across the city to a new £135m hospital development.

The hospital, in Woodstock Road, built in 1770, has been bought by Oxford University and is closing its doors to patients, who are moving to the new west wing at the John Radcliffe Hospital, in Headington.

This morning, RAF nurses and doctors who work at the RI, will take neuroscience patients from the city centre site to Headington, as the final stage of the move gets under way.

There are 270 in-patients at the RI and the majority have been moved during the past few months, with the most vulnerable patients travelling across this morning.

Vickie Holcroft, director of private finance initiative projects for the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, said about 40 remaining neuroscience, eye and plastic surgery patients were moving today and tomorrow.

She added: "Elderly patients were moved in September because we wanted to avoid doing that in the winter months.

"Other people have been moved out of the RI since early December, and before that we needed to move thousands of medical records, which date back about seven years.

"Patients have been absolutely fine about the move - they feel the same way as the staff. There is a feeling of nostalgia about leaving the RI, and excitement about moving into a wonderful new building with modern facilities.

"We are making sure that a portrait of John Radcliffe, which has been on display at the RI, will be put up at the new west wing to link the past with the future."

Mrs Holcroft, who has spent the past six years planning the move, said urgent eye referrals had already taken place at the west wing.

She added: "The move has gone very well and we are confident it will be completed on schedule. Oxford University has bought the RI site and will officially take it over on February 2."

RAF doctors and nurses are based at the RI when they are not on missions abroad and are using RAF ambulances for the move so that NHS ambulances are not required.

Patients on the children's ward at the JR are also moving into the new £30m children's hospital this weekend, which is attached to the west wing, and the site becomes fully operational on January 22.