From the heart.

This programme deals with the shortage of organ donors in Britain and follows two people who undergo heart transplants. The reporter Jonathan Maitland meets patients, medical professionals and members of the public to explore attitudes to organ donation and asks why only a third of the British population have registered as organ donors. He interviews bereaved families, including a mother and sister of a young man whose organs were donated 13 years ago and the parents of a boy who died before receiving a heart transplant. At the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle a 5 year old boy, Aaron, is given a new heart. His parents, John McAleese and Lisa Coyle, are interviewed as is Lynne Hold, Transplant Coordinator. At Harefield Hospital in Middlesex we meet 20 year old William Pope who also receives a new heart. The impact of organ transplants is highlighted by Marcus Metha who received a new liver a few years ago and is now training to be a doctor. The shortage of organ donors from the Black and Asian communities is emphasised by an interview with Munir Ahmed, who is waiting for a suitable heart. Other interviews are conducted with Prof. James Neuberger, NHS Blood and Transplant, Dr Andre Simon, Transplant Surgeon and Dr Angus Vincent, Lead Consultant Neurotrauma.