THE waiting list for a heart transplant has nearly trebled in a decade.
NHS Blood and Transplant service figures show the number of people on the waiting list for a new heart in the UK has increased by 162 per cent since 2008.
The British Heart Foundation is encouraging potential donors to make their wishes known to their next of kin, saying while most people support it many families refuse donations because they are unsure of their loved one's wishes.
The campaign marks the 50th anniversary of the world's first heart transplant. On December 3 1967, South African cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnard transplanted the heart of a woman who died following a car accident to a grocer suffering from heart disease.
The recipient survived 18 days but later succumbed to pneumonia due to the immuno-suppressant drugs he was taking.
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