A British grandfather is facing a £30,000 medical bill after falling ill on holiday in Spain, because he failed to declare a common ailment on his travel insurance. Kevin Turner, 63, from Winsford, Cheshire, flew to Alicante with his partner Joy Peck in May, after being treated for a chest infection.
Despite being given antibiotics and steroids by his GP, who assured him he was 'good to go', Mr Turner felt unwell upon arrival. The following day, his chest pains worsened, and an ambulance was called. Doctors at a hospital in Alicante discovered he had a pierced lung and pneumonia, and he was placed in intensive care.
Mr Turner's travel insurance has refused to cover his medical bills, which are estimated at £30,000 and rising, because he did not disclose his recent chest infection before travelling. His daughters, Sam Turner, 44, and Natalie Fowell, 40, have launched a GoFundMe appeal to help pay the costs and bring him home.
Sam Turner, a wedding co-ordinator, flew to Spain on May 30 to be by her father's bedside. She said: 'It was really, really scary because obviously you're helpless. You're over here and you don't know what's going on.' She added that the insurance company took two weeks to decide not to pay out, and urged others to 'read the small print'.
Mr Turner remains in intensive care, and his family is concerned about loss of feeling in his legs and feet. The GoFundMe page, titled 'Support Kev's Recovery and Journey Home', has been set up to help cover the mounting medical expenses.
