A man who had to be rushed to hospital in Benidorm has been hit with a €70,000 bill - after his insurer refused to cover his medical costs because he had a glass of wine with dinner.
Robert Atkinson, 67, claims he is now being "held hostage" at the Spanish hospital where he had to undergo emergency spinal surgery after waking up one morning unable to move. The pub landlord, affectionately known as 'Benidorm Bob' by his friends due to his frequent visits there, was enjoying a meal with his wife Carol, 64, during their trip when he suddenly collapsed.
Robert managed to get to his bed with the help of his mobility scooter and Carol - but the next morning, he found he was paralysed from the waist down.
Doctors at the hospital discovered that Robert's vertebra had collapsed due to a small tumour that was weakening his spine, leaving him unable to walk. He was then rushed into emergency spinal surgery on April 6, after which the couple were told their travel insurer Zurich would not be covering the costs - because there were traces of alcohol found in Robert's blood.
The family was shocked to find that Robert had unwittingly been taken by a private ambulance to a private hospital, a service not covered by their insurance. Amanda Liddle, stepdaughter of the beleaguered man, told MailOnline that Zurich Insurance has abandoned them in their hour of need, stating: "The insurance company has washed its hands of it now because he had been at a private hospital," reports the Mirror.
"They also said he had alcohol in his system but they were on holiday in Benidorm. It is not as if he was excessively drunk. They had been out for a meal before their flight home the next day and had shared a bottle of wine. It's not like that would affect his spine. The insurance company has really got them held hostage, as does the hospital."
Robert is battling on in intensive care, unable to walk, with the cost of his medical care skyrocketing as he awaits the go-ahead to fly back home. Meanwhile, Zurich Insurance argues that it isn't liable for Robert's expenses since he received treatment at a private hospital, hadn't declared certain medications, and had alcohol in his system.
As the bills mount, Robert's family is rallying support through a GoFundMe page, hoping to settle the debts and bring him safely home.
Ms Liddle opened up about the ordeal, revealing: "What has made matters worse is that when the hotel rang for an ambulance they automatically called a private service that took Robert to a private hospital. The insurance won't cover operations in a private hospital but no one was aware of this and unfortunately due to the severity of the injury, he had to go through with the operation then and there."
She continued, detailing the shock that came afterwards: "It was only the next day, however, that they discovered they were in a private hospital when the insurance company said it would not cover the costs. It is all very, very scary. Bob is in a lot of pain and highly frustrated. 'Everyone just wants to get him back to the UK so he can be treated closer to home."
Liddle's stress didn't stop there as she explained the language barriers her mum faced: "My mum is very stressed with it all. She doesn't speak Spanish and is having to use Google Translate to speak to doctors. She is so worried about everything - not just about the health of my stepfather but the monetary side of things and how they are going to pay the bill. It is a huge concern."
The Mirror has reached out to Zurich Insurance for comment.
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