A FORMER prisoner-of-war who had a heart attack while on holiday, leading to a row over the costs of his treatment, was stable last night in a Spanish hospital.
Bernard Boyle, 81, from Middlesbrough, collapsed while in Benidorm with his wife, Marjorie.
Mr Boyle found himself uninsured and unable to fall back on the E111 form to cover his medical costs. The form allows holiday-makers visiting European Union countries to receive free basic emergency healthcare in state hospitals, but Mr Boyle's treatment was in a private hospital.
This led his family facing a possible bill of thousands of pounds.
It also prompted calls for the Spanish Government to clarify the position of Britons who fall ill while on holiday in the country.
Last night, a Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Boyle's condition was stable. An operation to fit a pacemaker for his heart had been successful, he said.
Mr Boyle's wife, his daughter Maria, and son Brendan, are understood to be by his bedside.
A British Consul staff member is also in touch with the family.
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