Organ transplants reach record high

The number of organ transplants carried out in the UK has reached a record high, health service figures show, the BBC reports.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) said there were 4,212 transplants in 2012-13, up 6% on the previous year.

About a quarter were from a living donor giving a kidney or a liver part, the rest involved people who had died.

The increase is being put down to a rise in the number of donors - earlier this year it was announced this was up 50% since 2008.