Two old skeletons were the only items found during a hospital-wide search for retained organs in Oxfordshire.

NHS managers spent two weeks scouring 15,000 rooms at the John Radcliffe, Churchill and Radcliffe Infirmary, and The Horton, Banbury.

The investigation was part of a campaign to catalogue organs and tissue samples, following news that the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust had extracted brains during post-mortem examinations to use for research.

During the search, in March, four teams explored "every filing cabinet and drawer" at the four sites, looking for organs which had not been officially catalogued.

Only two skeletons - used for teaching medical students - were discovered.

Chief nurse Tricia Hart said: "It was not a small task that was undertaken, but staff worked very hard during the search.

"We found a very minimal amount of information which is now being catalogued."

The Retained Organ Committee (ROC) ordered the search after managers revealed in February that 4,400 brains had been kept at the Radcliffe Infirmary for research into neurological conditions, like Alzheimer's disease.

A dedicated helpline was set up and 1,200 people called, concerned that organs had been taken from their deceased relatives.

But the ROC said no information could be given out about former patients until hospital managers were sure that every retained organ had been catalogued.