The Royal Free hospital is celebrating its 1,000 liver transplant in 20 years with a special event on Friday.

More than 100 patients and their families are expected to attend the event, at Alexandra Palace in Muswell Hill, including the 1000th patient herself, Maria Siotou.

Ms Siotou received her transplant in April last year, after four months on the waiting list suffering from cirrhosis of the liver.

Keith Rolles, head of the liver transplant programme, said the event was an opportunity to celebrate the gift of life for patients and their families.

"It is also an opportunity for us to recognise the great work of our whole transplant team - from the transplant co-ordinator to the nursing staff, surgeons to cleaners," he added.

Mr Rolles, who set up the hospital's liver transplant programme 20 years ago - and has since carried out more than 600 transplants - said there was a need for more people to register as donors or to express their wishes to those closest to them.

The hospital, in Pond Street, Hampstead, is one of only seven centres in the country to carry out liver transplants, currently carrying out between 50 to 60 transplants a year.

More than 400 people die every year in the UK while waiting for a transplant.

The event will take place between 2pm and 4pm in the Panorama Room at Alexandra Palace, in Alexandra Palace Way, Muswell Hill.

  • To add your name to the organ donor register, call 0845 60 60 400 or click here.