Insurers to fly heart victim home

Andrew Ross, 50, of Bradford, suffered a massive heart attack during a trip to the capital of the Czech Republic for his son's stag party early in August.

His insurance company, UK General Insurance, initially refused to pay the estimated 10,000 cost of an air ambulance as it said the family's claim breached the policy's terms and conditions due to Mr Ross's existing state of health.

A spokesman for the company confirmed yesterday that the issue related to pre-existing medical conditions and a visit Mr Ross made to a doctor prior to his trip in which he complained of "sweats", which went undiagnosed.

But the firm has since had a change of heart.

Nicola Lightowler, director of claims at UK General Insurance, said: "This is a difficult time for the family, and we very much hope Mr Ross makes a full and speedy recovery.

"We have reconsidered the case and, while our view is that, on the evidence available, Mr Ross did not comply with the terms and conditions attached to policy, we are acutely aware of the terrible situation the family find themselves in and are happy to support the family with an ex-gratia payment to help them at this difficult time."

Mr Ross's life was saved by emergency surgery at the time of his heart attack but he was left in a Prague hospital in a coma and on a ventilator.

His wife, Marina, 44, was told the news of his illness by her son, Mark, and immediately flew to her husband's bedside, only to be told when she arrived that the family would have to pay for getting him back to their home.

She made appeals through the local Press to raise the money.

On hearing the news, Mrs Ross told reporters: "It's absolutely fantastic, I can't put it into words.

"I'm speechless and that's not me. It's such a relief. I now know that he's going to be home and that it is going to be paid for."

Ms Lightowler said that, as soon as confirmation was received from medical officers caring for Mr Ross that he was stable enough to moved, he would be brought home.

She added: "We urge anybody buying travel insurance to read in full the terms and conditions of the policy, particularly when they are purchased online, to ensure the policy meets all their insurance needs."

A public appeal has been launched to fund the return of a second Briton paralysed in a road accident in Thailand.

Tom Moss, 26, was left nearly blind and unable to move from the neck down after his moped collided with a lorry and two cars in the resort of Chiang Mai.

Because he did not have travel insurance, he is now stuck in Bangkok while his family tries to raise the 35,000 to fly him back.

Mr Moss, a telesales worker, from Tooting, south London, went out to Thailand at the start of this year and spent six months travelling before his accident about a fortnight ago.

He is now paralysed from the neck down and has lost 95 per cent of his sight, as well as suffering fractures to his jaw, cheekbones and nose.

His mother, Gina Allaway, 53, has flown out to Thailand to be with her son, who is conscious but cannot remember the crash and finds it difficult to speak.

Mr Moss's sister, Jamie Harvey, 31, said: "My mum's out there on her own in a strange foreign country. It's just not knowing that's difficult – we try and get through to people but it's just not happening.

"We're just doing everything in our power to get him home. The problem is we haven't got any insurance to do it."

Private air ambulance operator Mediaviation is helping the family raise the funds, but so far they have only raised a little over 3,000.