The household of a lady who suffered a extreme mind harm whereas on vacation say they had been confronted with having to simply accept her return to the UK towards medical recommendation or her journey insurance coverage coverage can be cancelled.
Jane Rubens was concerned in an accident in the US earlier this month and stays in a coma.
Her insurance coverage firm, AXA Companions, initially advised the household Mrs Rubens would have to be repatriated on Monday regardless of a number of medics advising towards the transfer, her household advised the BBC.
Following a social media outcry, the insurers backed down, saying: “The welfare of Ms Rubens and her household stays our precedence.”
“We had been already having the worst time,” her daughter Cat, 34, who’s a lawyer, advised the BBC. “Mum might not survive this, we simply don’t know. After which to must take care of all this.”
Mrs Rubens was on vacation visiting household in Missouri when she was hit by an SUV in St Louis on 1 November. She sustained extreme mind accidents and a number of haemorrhages.
Since then she has been a affected person at St Louis College Hospital, the place she has undergone 5 completely different operations together with a cranioplasty the place a part of her cranium was eliminated. The latest surgical procedure was on Thursday.
Previous to travelling, her household say, the 73-year-old from Edinburgh took out a journey insurance coverage coverage with AXA Companions, which coated medical bills for as much as £15m ($19m).
On Friday the insurance coverage firm contacted her two kids Cat and Andrew, who’re by her bedside, to say they supposed to require her repatriation to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh this week.
On Saturday, the household despatched a letter to AXA Companions outlining the medical recommendation they’d acquired, not simply from her medical doctors in Missouri but in addition from NHS specialists to whom they’d spoken, in addition to the mind accidents charity Headway. All agreed that from a neurological stand-point, she wanted a number of extra weeks in the US.
On Sunday, the household say, they woke as much as an e mail from the insurers saying that “based mostly on all of the medical data which has been offered, it has been confirmed that your mom, Jane Rubens, is Match to Fly by way of an Air Ambulance, with applicable medical escorts with quick impact. We’ve got availability to proceed with the repatriation on 25/11/2024. If you don’t settle for our choices and don’t need to be repatriated, then we is not going to present any cowl.”
When Cat Rubens made a name to the insurers later that day she says she was advised:
- The coverage can be revoked on Monday if repatriation was not accepted on Sunday
- They may not see the repatriation plan, which additionally had not been shared with the medical staff in Missouri
- They weren’t allowed to talk to the insurer’s medical staff, underwriter or perhaps a name centre supervisor
- They weren’t allowed a further 48 hours to decide.
- Aside from elevating a criticism, there was no manner for them to problem the choice.
“Getting from St Louis to Edinburgh is a good distance,” mentioned Cat. “However they couldn’t present any particulars – what number of stops would there be, what stage of sedation would she obtain. Nothing.”
Following the decision, one of many medical doctors in St Louis caring for Mrs Rubens additionally known as AXA Companions. He bought no additional and was not even given the identify of a clinician in Edinburgh he might discuss to about his affected person.
On Sunday night, the household reluctantly wrote to the insurance coverage firm to say “Within the circumstances you’ve got given us no alternative however to comply with your repatriation plan. This has positioned us in an unimaginable place. You might have requested us to comply with a repatriation plan in respect of which we’ve no correct particulars, not even the identify of her receiving doctor within the UK.”
Cat Rubens then took to X to spotlight their predicament. “We had been backed right into a nook, I didn’t need to do it, however I felt I had no possibility however to put up on X.”
Following the social media put up, Ms Rubens mentioned, AXA Companions known as to apologise to the household saying they’d not do something with out the consent of the household and of each the treating and receiving hospital.
“We all know that repatriation has to occur – it’s what we wish for mum,” mentioned Cat.
“However it must be based mostly on the neurological opinion not simply on whether or not she’s match to fly from an aviation perspective. We weren’t being unreasonable – they only weren’t listening.”
In a press release, AXA Companions mentioned they had been “sorry for the misery Ms Rubens and her household have skilled when making a declare and we sympathise with their scenario. We’ve got spoken with Ms Rubens’ household and can stay in touch with them over the approaching days to assist them.
“Our medical staff and Ms Rubens’ treating medical doctors will agree one of the best plan of action going ahead. We’re contemplating all accessible choices and the welfare of Ms Rubens and her household stays our precedence.”
