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PRESS RELEASE: 4 July 2005

Addenbrooke's transplant team supports National Transplant Week

The Cambridge Transplant Unit, based at Addenbrooke's Hospital, is helping to support National Transplant Week this week (3 to 10 July 2005).

The week, organised by UK Transplant, aims to raise awareness of transplantation and the importance of organ donation.

John Torode, who works as a nurse in the transplant high dependency unit at the hospital, said: "As part of the transplant team I see many people regain their lives thanks to a transplant, please help us to help even more by signing up to the Organ Donor Register."

Addenbrooke's is a world leader in transplant surgery, with the transplant unit playing an important role in the research and evolution of clinical transplantation over the last 40 years. Some of its achievements include the first liver transplant outside the USA in 1968, the world's first combined heart, lung and liver transplant with Papworth NHS Trust in 1986 and the first small bowel transplant in the UK in 1992.

Four different types of transplants are performed at the hospital - liver and kidney transplantation (the two most common procedures) and combined pancreas and kidney transplantation and intestinal transplantation. Last year, 89 liver transplants (including four combined liver and kidney transplants), 80 kidney transplants and four combined pancreas and kidney transplants were performed at Addenbrooke's.

The transplant team will be manning displays at the following locations to offer information about transplants and the NHS Organ Donor Register, and members of the public are welcome to come along and find out more:

Monday 4 July - the hospital concourse
Wednesday 6 July - the Grafton Centre
Thursday 7 July - the hospital outpatients department
Friday 8 July - the hospital concourse

Anyone can join the NHS Organ Donor Register by telephoning the Organ Donor Line on 0845 60 60 400 or by visiting www.uktransplant.org.uk.

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.