It's a long story, but I'll try to keep it brief. My Wife fell and broke her arm while we were on site at Epinal in France. Thanks to a Dutch camper who fortunately spoke fluent French, we got her to hospital which was undergoing renovation, horrendous - trollies in corridor - 34' heat. I phoned CC who simply told us to keep them informed - no offer of assistance which fortunately, thanks to Dutch guy, we didn't need. I speak some French, but not good enought to cope with medical terms. Doctor took 2 sets of X-rays trying to decide whether to operate on her break (a proximal humerus fracture) As soon as he discovered we were on our way home, he gave her a pain-killing drug (using a sugar cube!) and told us to get home as soon as we could and go to hopital there. Because the break was right at the top of her arm, no plaster could be applied and all she got was a sling. He was very busy, so scrawled a few lines on a discharge sheet, describing the injury as a broken shoulder, and sent us away. Back on site, I tried to contact CC, but woman dealing was supposedly on her lunch and nobody else wanted to know. After about an hour (now 16:00 local time), she did ring back and told me to fax the discharge sheet. I did this from Reception on my way to the Pharmacy for prescription pain-killers. On my return, wife was in tears. CC had rang back and told her just to enjoy rest of holiday and catch booked ferry (4 days away). CC refused to speak to Dutch guy, had not seen X-rays and hadn't contacted hospital. I phoned CC again and was told that lots of people break things and mangage to get on with their holidays. I asked quite how a woman in intense pain, with no supporting plaster and who, at that point, couldn't dress herself, wash herself or eat without assistance was supposed to enjoy a holiday, especially in a caravan with low seat backs which offered no support for her injury. I told them we were going home and I would pay for the ferry change myself and take it up with them when I got home. At that point, she went off to consult somebody and eventually they very reluctantly agreed to pay for the ferry change (around 250GBP) stressing that it was a one-off and that they would not entertain any claim for subsequently incurred expenses or loss of holiday. At home it took British doctors a couple of days to decide that an operation to pin the fracture was not necessary, but it was touch and go. The admitting nurse winced when she saw the strength of the pain-killers which the French hospital had prescribed. So, in the end, CC did the right thing, but they caused us immense distress and gave us very little in the way of support. My subsequent letter of complaint was intially dealt with by the very people I was complaining about and then by the immediate boss (who mis-translated the discharge note to support his point of view). Unsurprisingly, they refused to admit that they might have got it wrong. We would have been happy if someone had simply said sorry. The Director General simply passed things to other people and there appears to be no independent complaints set-up within CC. My conclusion is that RP might be good at dealing with breakdowns, etc, but on medical matters, they adopt the same approach as commercial companies and simply try to wriggle out of their responsibilities. We automatically insured with RP for many years before this, but fortunately, other than a cancellation had no cause to test them.
Sorry about the length, but you did ask.
Facebook
Twitter