My dad suffered a seizure and required…
My dad suffered a seizure and required CPR when he landedon holiday in Portugal. Although he was discharged from hospital the following day, he remained very unwell. The treating doctor recommended that he return to the UK for further investigations, including an MRI. However, we were told by the insurer that he had to travel home with a doctor escort. What followed was a series of avoidable delays that left my dad stranded abroad for far longer than necessary. The company requested his GP records from the wrong NHS Board, causing a 24-hour delay. After receiving over 60 pages of GP records, we were then told they needed more information, only to later admit after I pushed for a second review that no further information was actually required. That unnecessary decision delayed his repatriation by another 48 hours. Communication throughout was extremely poor. We spent days chasing updates, promised call-backs very rarely actually happened, and there appeared to be little urgency despite my dad remaining unwell and unable to return home for further medical investigations. The impact on our family was enormous. I returned home with my two younger autistic siblings because we were repeatedly told my parents would be repatriated before the end of the holiday. That never happened. Instead, I was left caring for the children alone whilst my mum remained in Portugal with my dad. The uncertainty and stress were overwhelming for all of us. To add insult to injury, the insurer has refused to reimburse food and drink costs incurred because of the delays, claiming they were “normal living expenses”, despite those costs only arising because my mum was forced to remain abroad waiting for my dad’s repatriation. They have also refused to compensate for the remainder of the holiday, even though the holiday effectively ended the moment my dad collapsed. I have also submitted multiple Subject Access Requests, yet the statutory deadline has passed and I still have not received the information I am legally entitled to. This experience has been incredibly stressful at one of the worst times in our lives. I would not recommend this insurer based on our experience.