yes, that's what I found out too

it's not entirely clear from the stories if she is on a short course or a longer course though

the way I understood the rules, are that the EHIC should cover for essential medical care (if she's on a shorter course) ........ so are they saying that coma care isn't essential?

if she's on a longer course then yes, she should be entitled to full NHS as a resident

neither of which will get her home though, as neither would cover repatriation

she seems to have fallen through the cracks - or perhaps was on a short course & stayed too long?

thats the way of things in the UK, in the same city they have a help centre that provides a list of benefits and entitlements in 8 different languages. Copies are available in certain cities of the Indian sub-continent.

Remember the story last year about the woman from Nigeria who came over to UK when pregnant with quins for a 6m holiday with her sister ?
She managed to get over £250,000 of medical help and treatment, including the birth(s), and ante-natal.
Turned out her husband was director of a successful business in Nigeria, but she said she wanted to stay in the UK, it would be better for her and her children. Problem is the story stops there, they never tell us the "happy ending"

. ........ but not in english <lol>

well, yes, in English as well - how else do they communicate when they arrive other than by pointing at the words ?

they also have an "out of hours" emergency mobile number.

My post was a joke dude,
They get a free interpreter provided by UK tax payer of course

but it isnt a joke
the local council have had to call a halt on providing free interpretation, its only available now to special order.
most bring their English speaking son or daughter, some of which have to take time off from school to be there.

so why am i killing myself to learn Spanish when I should be able to lift a finger and get an interpreter

The "joke" is on the British tax payer.

I learnt spanish because I wanted to, one can and many do get by without.

well its a shame the fluffy bunnies of equal rights etc don't pay for it themselves instead of making things "all inclusive" and expecting it to be paid for as a right (what part of the HRA is that mentioned?)

I suppose it would be nice to not have to learn/speak Spanish but in a Spanish village surrounded by olives with the big city being also non-English speaking (despite the language schools of world renown) it really is a necessity to have Spanish, even with my poor East Anglian accent.

but I learnt a little Cantonese when I was out the Far East so why not some Spanglish - only about 9,800 words to go

I think the newspaper story is a bit garbled. The money is needed for repatriation in the same way as there has been fundraising for uninsured Brits to return to UK. One of the comments on a spanish forum made me smile....said the English should pay for her to travel back

Most hospitals in the UK will TRY and provide an interpreter, usually a staff member who speaks the person's language, the same as in Spain, but it really is your own responsibility to provide one for a booked appointment, in an emergency then the hospital do try.

I don't really want to get into a debate on whether UK or spain provide a better service to non native speakers. I like the Ausie way, if you don't speak the lingo, **** off home.

I agree that it's very hard to see how 'coma' would not qualify as 'emergency' however on a broader scale I think an E128 could be the key:

"Form E128 is issued to students and posted workers and certifies entitlements to the full range of healthcare in the country of posting or study. E128 holders are entitled to full medical treatment in any European Economic Area country, for any condition, whether it is of an emergency nature or not. It covers employed and self-employed workers and family dependents accompanying the worker abroad and who are temporarily posted to another EEA member country and who continue to pay insurance contributions at home. The form also covers students and accompanying family dependents who are temporarily staying in another EEA member country to study a recognised course.

The E128 does not need to be registered in the country of posting or study but is presented at the time treatment is required. As the E128 is not a registration form, Health Boards do not, as a general rule, issue medical cards to E128 holders."

So if the lady in question didn't follow procedure and get an E128 then to some extent she may be the unfortunate author of her own misfortune.

Note that only private health insurance will cover repatriation.

An opportunity here for Price Edward to take the poor girl home on his way to Gib, brownie points galore.

and he can pay for the flight out of the £10m he gets from his mum