A grandmother from Liverpool has been left stranded in a Mexico hospital with spiralling medical costs after suffering medical problems linked to a pre-existing medical condition.

67-year-old Val King had taken out travel insurance with HSBC, however this insurance did not cover her for her pre-existing medical condition of angina. After failing to take out an alternative policy to cover this issue, Mrs King and her family are now facing a bill of thousands of pounds to cover the cost of an air ambulance home and medical treatment while abroad.

HSBC say they advised Mrs King of the exclusion on her insurance policy, and recommended she get in touch with the British Heart Foundation for advice on the best travel insurance policy to cover her heart condition.

However Mrs King didn’t take out an alternative policy, and after falling ill with her angina condition while on an American cruise with her husband, she’s now facing the prospect of being flown by air ambulance at the cost of £62,000.

As well as the hefty price of specialist transport back to the UK, the King family also have a hospital bill of $126,000 which is rising by $3,500 daily.

This unfortunate incident certainly highlights the importance of ensuring you have adequate travel insurance, which is tailored to cover any pre-existing medical conditions or specific requirements you may have, before embarking on a trip abroad.