Overview

• Alan Kirby, 67, died on Monday in Athens after septic shock following a sudden illness that began while on holiday in Zante.
• Greek clinicians identified a mass in his right lung and he was later placed on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma from which he did not recover.
• Insurer checks found the lung mass had been noted previously in the UK, classed as a pre-existing condition, so only around five days of private care (~£14,000) were covered.
• He was moved to a public hospital where treatment fell under his Global Health Insurance Card, but private air-ambulance repatriation was not covered.
• Family fundraising reached about £9,500 against air-ambulance estimates of £45,000, with some reports citing combined costs up to £59,000, and the donations will fund his cremation in Athens.