Man, 73, faces £38k holiday bill as travel insurance 'refuse to pay out'

A dad who fell ill during a holiday in Greece is now facing a staggering £38,000 medical bill after his travel insurance 'refused to pay out'. Gwyn Elward, 73, was just two days into his Zante vacation with his wife of 52 years, Rosalind, when he felt so "shattered" he couldn't get out of bed.

Rosalind, 74, insisted that he see a doctor, and after a few checks, an ambulance was called to take Gwyn to the local hospital. Upon arrival, Rosalind simply had to present Gwyn's UK Global Health Insurance Card, which allows for necessary state healthcare within the European area.

Gwyn, from Pencoed, spent four days at that hospital before doctors recommended he receive more specialist treatment at a hospital in Athens. They arrived in the middle of the night, and Gwyn was immediately taken into intensive care.

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However, Rosalind signed a document she believed was necessary for his admission, and was then asked for a £5,000 deposit. She explained: "I said I'm insured. He said no, as a deposit, so panic me now I just paid it. He was in that hospital then for nearly two weeks. They kept onto me they wanted paying, they wanted thirty grand. I said I haven't got thirty grand, I was in a right state."

Rosalind's family arranged for her to stay in a hotel close to the hospital, and she walked every day to visit Gwyn. During his time in intensive care, she was only permitted 15 minutes daily in his room, fully masked and gowned, reports Wales Online.

It was there that Gwyn expressed his worries about the air conditioning unit to Rosalind. "When we got back home then, he was in hospital here, and they detected legionella," Rosalind recounted.

She is convinced that the intensive care room was the only possible place where he could have contracted the disease. Legionnaires' disease is an infection caused by inhaling minute water droplets laden with bacteria.

After their return on September 14, environmental health officers visited Gwyn to take samples, and the couple expects to learn more about the source of the infection soon.

The great-grandfather spent four days in a community hospital in Zante and then another 13 days in an Athens hospital, including three days in intensive care for heart treatment, which is now under control.

Upon returning home, Gwyn was taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, where, according to Rosalind, he was diagnosed with pneumonia and Legionnaires' disease. He received four blood transfusions and was discharged from the hospital last week.

Rosalind is currently grappling with the financial strain of a hefty medical bill after her travel insurance reportedly declined to cover the costs. She explained: "They sent me a letter with a breakdown of what we're going to pay, it is £30,000 for the hospital, then it's four doctors at £1,000 something to each."

Amidst this stress, a friend has launched a GoFundMe page to alleviate some of the pressure. Donations can be made to assist Rosalind. She expressed her gratitude towards the generosity of those who have contributed, saying that people had been "incredibly kind" and both she and Gwyn are deeply thankful for the support they've received.