Well, I thought I’d knock up a page on the topic of health, travel insurance and to share a recent NHS experience.
THE SANDS OF TIME AND A SPIN OF THE DICE
Those who know me will be aware that one of the triggers for my lifestyle change a few years ago was a rather nasty health episode.
In March 2020, I was at Hook Services on the M3, heading to work, when completely out of the blue, a duodenal ulcer burst, leaving me with blood coming out of both ends… I had no prior symptoms, and it was not a pretty sight for anyone who witnessed it, I didn’t quite make it to the gents!
It was the same month that COVID took hold; an important message and life lesson had landed…
Good health isn’t a ‘given’, and as you get older it becomes one of, if not the most important things to consider.
Never knowing when the sands of time will run out, I decided to embark on the path I’ve been on for the past few years. Better to do things now, while I’m fit and able. Live life before you cant!
Ironically, over the past few years, and despite what I think has been a good diet and lifestyle, I’ve experienced a few unexpected medical episodes, if anything, reinforcing my decision to retire early and travel.
A NEW CHALLENGE…
The latest episode came in early March ’26, when I woke at 3am with excruciating pain in my upper abdomen. I got out of bed and ended up wandering around the house, breathing rapidly and writhing about. No, I hadn’t stepped on a piece of Lego!
I feared the worst, that it was a repeat of the 2020 ulcer episode.
After three hours, the pain clearly wasn’t going anywhere, in fact, it was intensifying, so I called 111 and explained the symptoms. I expected to be told to “man up”, make my own way to hospital, or book an urgent GP appointment when they opened. They didn’t. They sent an ambulance.
I thought that was over the top and said so, but they insisted.
Within an hour, a couple of paramedics arrived, assessed me, and started pain relief. Because I couldn’t stop being sick, they administered painkillers intravenously. When that didn’t work, morphine shots, not one but three. Oh, and gas and air!
I was pretty much off my t*ts, with part of me wanting to grab some headphones and stick on a few banging tunes, but the pain was still acute. So, off to hospital I went.
On arrival at Croydon General Hospital’s A&E, I was seen by more nurses than I could count, all providing exceptional care. I saw two doctors, one carried out a scan, while the other gave a clear and thorough explanation of what needed to happen next.
I was asked to return a few days later for further tests. And all of this was completely free at the point of delivery, something my American friends still find astonishing. I even left with a bag full of medication from the hospital pharmacy (also free, now I’m over 60).
Now, I must admit, the back-of-house areas of A&E didn’t look too pretty. Chairs and beds had seen better days, and anyone looking critically might have seen patients in various states, on trolleys in corridors, tucked into corners, or (like me) sitting around waiting for the next step.
But look more closely, and you could see constant triaging, prioritisation, and care. Staff were working flat out, responding based on need, doing everything they could to keep people comfortable.
It was also spotlessly clean, which is no small feat given the volume of patients. Housekeeping staff were always visible, mopping, cleaning, and quietly keeping the whole place operating.
I genuinely couldn’t fault the service, from any member of staff, in any role.
It turned out to be a badly infected gallbladder, combined with a host of gallstones queuing up to give me gyp. I ended up on antibiotics, and have had to make a few lifestyle changes!
TRAVEL INSURANCE
So this brings me back on topic!
Both having and keeping travel insurance up to date is vital.
It’s a bit like car insurance, fail to disclose something, and you risk invalidating your cover. The consequences can be enormous.
By way of example… A distant family member recently had a serious medical episode in the Caribbean, hospitalisation, induced coma, and eventual repatriation. The bill? Around £380,000.
Had they not declared everything properly, that cost would have been theirs to take on the chin!
My travel insurer requires disclosure of any medical issue in the past 12 months, medication, treatment, GP visits, hospital attendance… even something minor like an infected stye (which required antibiotics).
Small issues are usually absorbed into the premium. Bigger ones? Either excluded or covered at extra cost.
Running with exclusions is risky, even in Europe where a medical issue ‘may” be covered by GHIC. Click here. But it’s important you check your destination country rules first.
It’s important to note that even within GHIC-covered countries, cover is limited to emergency care and varies by country (some counties require pre-existing conditions to be declared to their health service in advance) suffice to say, it can get complicated.
Regardless, and crucially, GHIC does not cover:
- Medical repatriation to the UK
- Private healthcare (so you need to check what hospital you check-in, it has to be a public hospital)
- Mountain or ski rescue
So getting the right cover, and keeping it accurate, is essential.
Going outside Europe without insurance or having multiple exclusions is, in my opinion not a good idea.
I’ve always taken this seriously and have limited sympathy for those who gamble to save a few quid. We’ve all seen the “GoFundMe” pages… and unless there are exceptional circumstances, I tend to steer clear.
One final real-life example.
A few years ago, a friend of mine had a stroke whilst on a ski trip with me. He needed helicopter evacuation, covered by his insurance, while his treatment in an Austrian public hospital was covered via his GHIC.
Problem was, he’d forgotten to bring it.
Fortunately, I was able to obtain a temporary replacement (called a PRC) by contacting the NHS via their website, which also has an emergency number (Click here for NHS PRC link). Straightforward enough, but worth knowing in advance.
The NHS/UK Government settled the bill as per the reciprocal GHIC agreement.
FINAL THOUGHT
So my message is simple:
- Get travel insurance.
- Keep it updated.
- Declare everything.
- Pay for the cover you actually need.
- And take your GHIC card.
It might just save you a small fortune or your life.