Bid to bring sick Briton back home

A social worker from Yorkshire was seriously ill in a Caribbean hospital last night as his family began a campaign to raise tens of thousands of pounds to bring him back to Britain.

By The Newsroom

Published 18th Oct 2011, 08:53 BST

Former soldier Frank Rice, 49, from Wakefield, requires a ventilator to breathe after being taken ill with pneumonia while on holiday in the Dominican Republic.

The treatment is costing a $4,000 a day, but Mr Rice’s relatives say his travel insurer has refused to pay the medical bills because he failed to disclose he was suffering from a lung condition when he bought his holiday cover.

Mr Rice’s daughter Ashleigh, 19, said he had been in hospital since October 8 and doctors had to resuscitate him after he was taken off the ventilator temporarily.

She said the total cost of his treatment had already reached $29,000 and it could cost up to £100,000 to fly him home. The family has planned fundraising events including a sponsored walk and collections at rugby matches.