On the Local South East Today

[hedgehog1979]

Man who went on holiday to Thailand, had a motorbike accident, didn't have travel insurance, has had to spend his £15,000 in savings for his medical care, and as his mum could not afford the £5,000 to get him home local viewers have helped her out to get him home.

Now I know he has some brain damage and I am not annoyed about this but I am annoyed about the fact that at no point on the BBC news did they mention the need for travel insurance and the fact that the Foreign Office is not obliged to help out people who hurt themselves overseas

Just needed to rant somewhere

yes it does irritate me when people think they can cut corners and then whinge to the government when it goes wrong.

Don't even go for a day trip to France without the proper cover, it is madness.
Just because our National health service treats all and sundrey does not mean every country does.

My FIL is going to America for nearly 2 months and isn't getting insurance cos it costs too much BUT he has high BP, arrythmia and a back problem

Why did the BBC need to point out the need for insurance? It seems bloody obvious from what you have said of the story that if you have an accident and you are not covered you have to pay for it. Of course people from the UK have absolutely no idea how much operations etc cost, so I guess that's always an issue when making sensible decisions about insurance. I spent £40 on insurance when I went on holiday to the USA once. Ended up breaking my arm and my jaw, with a bill of $20k. That was a £40 well spent!

I wouldn't set foot on a plane or ferry without adequate insurance cover. It does say it on the passport application form and you can even buy travel insurance in Tescos now for about £10. Perhaps a few people today will make a resolution not to cut corners too cheaply on their next trip after seeing that news report .