Setting sail to raise awareness of organ donation

An unusual crew has taken to the waters of the Solent to raise awareness ofkidney disease.

Three former transplant patients and a surgeon braved gale force winds to highlight the benefits of a transplant operation. Three thousand of the procedures are performed each year, but five thousand people are still onthe waiting list.

The Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust carries out operations in hospital for patients across the UK. The trust is celebrating 50 years of carrying out organ transplants.

The one thousandth living kidney transplant operation in the UK took placethis month.

Sally Simmonds spoke to Jacquie Dowding who has had two transplants in 30 years; Liz Hosford, who had a transplant in 1990; Professor Nazim Mamode, a Kidney Transplant Surgeon at Guy's Hospital: and Kirsty Biss, who has been writing a blog about her experiences to raise awareness of kidney disease, organ transplants and donations.