Welcome to the home page of the East Anglia Patient Group, based in Cambridge. 

We are a very active group in normal times. Raising awareness is the primary focus, we look for events and locations at which there will be a large number of people, attracting as broad a range of people as possible. The locations/venues we've attended include large supermarkets in Downham Market and Cambridge, Garden Centres, Addenbrookes Hospital Concourse, Mill Road (a Street Festival in the centre of Cambridge), The Big Weekend in Cambridge, Science festivals in both Norwich and Cambridge.  

We are a lively group, committed to helping the clinical team in any way that's appropriate.  The team are brilliant at supporting us, you will often find members at our events.

Our overriding thoughts are that if we encourage just one person a year to seek advice about the heartburn they are suffering that's our job well done.

If you would like to know more about us, please contact the charity directly on [email protected] 

Upcoming Events

Norwich Science Fair - 18th February 2023

The group will be at  Norwich Science Fair on Saturday 18th February 2023 which is the Festivals Health and Wellbeing Day. Volunteers from the East Anglia Support Group and some of Professor Fitzgerald's lab team will be on hand to provide information about the link between acid reflux, Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal cancer. They will also be available to answer questions about some of the research work that is going on in this area.  There will be a focus on the use of the Cytosponge and its role in screening patients at risk of developing Barrett's oesophagus.

Past Events

Mill Road Winter Fair - Saturday 3rd December 2022

   

The annual Mill Road Winter Fair took place on the 3rd December and thankfully the weather was relatively mild.  The event was well attended which gave the group the opportunity to pass on quite a lot of leaflets as well as explaining about the availability of the Cytosponge via GP referrals. Professor Fitzgerald and several volunteers from the lab also gave up their time on the day. 

Westminster Patient Event - 14th October 2022

Our recent Patient Event, held at Westminster College in Cambridge and hosted by Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald, was attended by over 50 visitors and it was a pleasure to be able to meet in person again following the pandemic.

Clinicians were available to chat to visitors and there was an opportunity to see the equipment currently used to treat patients who need radiofrequency ablation. The increasing interest in developing tests to help early diagnosis of cancer was represented both by the Cytosponge and by equipment used to carry out breath tests capable of detecting scents produced by some cancers. In addition, several demonstrations were set up by researchers keen to share and explain the projects they are currently working on including a new blood test that can be carried out at home by the patient; just four small spots of dried blood can be posted off for analysis, which sounds much easier and more environmentally friendly than travelling to a hospital appointment.

The whole event, including the refreshments, was most enjoyable and we are grateful to everyone who helped to make it such a success.

Norwich Science Fair - Saturday 30th October 2021

This annual event is a regular for the group and they were delighted to be attending on the Health day this year. It was a busy day for the group with a stand inside The Forum and they were able to speak to many visitors.