Waiting list for heart transplants has trebled

The waiting list for a heart transplant has nearly trebled in a decade, the British Heart Foundation has revealed as it pleads for people listed as donors to discuss their decision with loved ones.

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. The charity said many people believed all they had to do to become an organ donor after death was to join the NHS register or carry a donor card - yet they may not know their families are still able to bar the procedure.

The campaign marks the 50th anniversary of the first heart transplant.