Tourist Died After Hospital Turned Off Life Support Because Family Could Not Pay Medical Bill

British tourist Adrian King, 39, died as a result of kidney failure at the Red Sea resort in Hurghada, Egypt.

He fell into a coma and was on life support. He was initially given dialysis but the treatment was stopped because his travel insurance was void.

Charles Bumford, Kings's father contacted the British consulate but no-one came to help.

He said: "A man at the hospital stood in my son's room and told me 'the insurance is null and void - you pay now or I switch off the machines, I didn't have the £7,000 he was asking for at that time. As he walked out of the room he started switching things off."

"I cannot believe that the British Consulate cannot do more for a British citizen."

"They were contacted 50 times - we were just passed from pillar to post." The hospital claimed Adrian king died of cardiac arrest but his family insists they stopped his treatment because his travel insurance was void.

Elaine Huxley, King's mother said:

"We got a letter from the insurance company saying the policy was void because Adrian had failed to declare he had been in hospital in 2015 with peritonitis. It is sickening that doctors could stop treating him as a result of the insurance payment being stopped on a technicality."

South Staffordshire Senior coroner, Andrew Haigh, said the Egyptian hospital had refused to provide information.

No autopsy had been carried out by Egyptian authorities, said Andrew Haigh.

The family is raising money to reclaim Adrian’s body and bury him in Britain.

Haigh said:

"The cause of his death is a combination of kidney failure, the collapse in the hot desert, followed by limited medical treatment. I do propose sending a report to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in this country. There is the potential there could be further casualties."

Coroner’s officer Simon Webster said:

"The insurance company refused to pay for medical treatment due to alcohol being a factor. Treatment was withdrawn."