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A British holidaymaker has spent over a month in a serious condition in a hospital in Dublin as his family scramble to try and pool together the €10,000 needed to fly him home to Manchester.

The International Travel Insurance Journal recently reported that Peter Carter (66) and his son had only been in Ireland for a matter of hours when he fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a broken neck, head injuries and extensive bruising. He has since lost sensation and movement down one half of his body.

Mr Carter had not taken out travel insurance for his trip because he thought the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) would cover the cost of any treatment he needed. And he was right - the EHIC covered the cost of the hospital treatment, but he and his family found out too late that it could not cover the cost of repatriation.

His son Richard said: "I spoke to the British Embassy and to the Foreign Office and they are going by the book. They're saying there's no travel insurance, then there's no repatriation."

The case which has been reported to the Irish media, yet again serves to highlight the fact that the government must do more to educate the public about the anomalies contained within the EHIC.

As strongly recommended by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, "You still need sufficient travel insurance to cover healthcare costs. Many people think an EHIC will be enough and don't take out insurance. They regret this when they have to pay thousands of pounds for an air ambulance back to the UK or pay out for extra accommodation to stay with a sick relative."

When travelling abroad, as a Flexicover policyholder, you will receive protection 24 hours a day, every day of the year safe in the knowledge that should an emergency arise, you can return home, quickly.

As a valued London Air Connections client you can claim your loyalty discount of up to 20%* by quoting reference EC298 when booking your insurance at www.flexicover.com. Alternatively you may call us on 0845 223 4500. This offer extends to all your family and friends.

*20% for Gap Year, 10% for Annual Multi-Trip and 10% for all Single Trip policies

Quick Quote: Annual Multi-Trip | Single trip | Gap Year | Winter Sports

If you're travelling this year, be safe with Flexicover travel insurance!

Happy Holidays - From the London Air Connections Office Team.

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