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PRESS RELEASE: 20 May 2005

Pathologists are going for gold at Chelsea Flower Show

Next week’s Chelsea Flower show (24 to 28 May) is featuring a special exhibition from the east of England aimed at showing that plants and flowers can do more than brighten up our lives but actually improve and protect them.

A team of pathologists from the Health Protection Agency and Addenbrooke’s Hospital has joined forces with colleagues at the University of Cambridge, Pathology and Medical Illustration departments and Scotsdales Garden Centre to produce this year’s Royal College of Pathologists exhibition at the Chelsea Flower Show.

The exhibition “Plants, Pathologists, Drugs and Diseases” will form part of the Lifelong Learning section in the grand marquee where visitors can learn how pathologists diagnose and treat diseases using drugs derived from plants.

Dr Tim Wreghitt, Honorary Consultant Virologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Regional Microbiologist for the Health protection Agency is leading the exhibition team for The Royal College of Pathologists. Dr Wreghitt said: “Our aim is to show people how common plants such as foxgloves, willow and yew trees are used to produce drugs to treat diseases like heart failure, blood clotting disorders and cancer. We have run exhibitions at the flower show over the last two years and won awards, but thanks to the commitment and support of our colleagues this year’s will be even better and we have high hopes that it could win us a gold medal.”

Note to editors
For further information contact:
Iain Mallett, Regional Communications Manager, Health Protection Agency on 01223 372840
Emma Oram, Press Officer, Addenbrooke’s Foundation Hospital, on 01223 274433
Caroline Shaw, Press Officer, Royal College of Pathologists, 020 7451 6752

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.