Oxford's major hospitals could be reorganised into a ground-breaking academic super trust as early as next year.

Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust is in the process of redrawing its existing bid to become a foundation trust, in order to create a new type of health trust with Oxford University.

It would attract massive extra funding for medical research, which the ORH Trust says means patients would benefit far more quickly from medical breakthroughs.

The trust will submit an application to become an academic foundation trust, as a first step to becoming one of Britain's first academic health science centres in 2009.

The academic centre would incorporate the John Radcliffe and Churchill hospitals, along with Banbury's Horton, with the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre keen to join.

The Government wants to see hospitals and leading research centres coming together as such centres, with the elite designation amounting to 'an internationally recognised badge of excellence'.

Oxford, Cambridge and three London hospitals are tipped to make up the first five academic centres.

Oxford University and the chief executive of the ORH Trust, Trevor Campbell Davis, have already indicated their enthusiasm.

Mr Campbell Davis said: "Our joint objective is to become an academic foundation trust by April next year.

"This would put us at the forefront of trusts wanting to become academic health science centres.

"Putting focus on leading edge clinical research will enable the very best of modern health care to be brought to local patients.

"I very much hope that the NOC would be part of the new centre. It seems an appropriate and exciting way for the NOC to move forward."