A mum had the holiday from hell after she and her partner fell ill on their return home and had to spend a week in a foreign hospital. Angel Kirkland, her partner Ryan Smith and their six-month-old daughter Sierra arrived in Tenerife last month and spent five nights there. The family had an enjoyable time - up until the way home.
After catching a coach back to the airport, Angel and Ryan were repeatedly sick outside the bus park. Angel collapsed to the ground and could barely walk and on the way to get medical help, Ryan fell ill with the same symptoms. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where a week-long showdown occurred between the hospital and the family's insurance company, reports Edinburgh Live.
Angel, 24, from Gorebridge, Scotland, said: "While in the medical room we were put on anti-sickness drips and Sierra was taken away by two lovely Jet2 staff. She was beside herself and I could hear her screaming. We felt helpless lying there, it was such a shame she must have wondered what on earth was going on.
"It would usually be her bedtime as it was past 9pm, but we were taken in an ambulance to the Hospiten Sur in Tenerife where they told us we both had Gastroenteritis and would have to pay 200 euros just to be seen."
Angel's partner Ryan, also 24, fought their case and managed to get them seen, saying that they had insurance so they didn't have to pay. After that, the hospital said that they were a private institution and the nearest NHS hospital was almost two hours away. After one of the nurses at the hospital got in touch with the family's insurance company, they were told they wouldn't have to pay anything and not to worry.
Angel, a tanning salon manager, added: "On Saturday morning, we were taken to a proper bed and were supposed to get bloods taken, but nobody came. On Sunday, we were told that the systems were down and that's why our bloods didn't get taken. We were put on a liquid diet for the first day and then when we could eventually eat solids, they brought us meat and fish even though I said I couldn't eat either.
"Meanwhile, our baby girl had the same clothes on for three days now. Thankfully, a lovely interpreter managed to get her clean clothes but she had nappies which were too big. Every time we asked for milk, the staff rolled their eyes at us."
Angel said that from the Sunday, they were told they would be discharged but they had to wait on the Post Office sending the hospital a guarantee of payment. After 18 phone calls between herself and the Post Office, Angel was then told that they would not pay out as the family should not have been kept in the hospital for so long and that it wasn't their fault.
"We were not even allowed to leave the room or go for a walk with our baby. On Monday night we were told that no matter if the insurance agree to pay or not, we would be allowed to leave. This morning, they came in again and said you pay or you leave and slammed the door. By that point we'd had enough and just walked out the hospital. We had to organise flights to Bristol as every flight to Edinburgh had 13+ layovers.
"We are getting a flight home to Edinburgh today, The staff at the hospital and the Post Office have been an absolute disgrace the way they have treated us, especially with a small child. We felt like prisoners with a baby."
The young family have now been left with a medical bill of over 4000 Euros, with no means of being able to pay it off. The Post Office is currently investigating the issue further.
A Post Office spokesperson said: "We’re sorry to hear of the experience Ms Kirkland and her young family have had at the end of their holiday in Tenerife. We are urgently investigating what happened at the hospital and we will be in contact with Ms Kirkland regarding her claim."
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