I have previously travelled without travel insurance. The term, not needed, unnecessary, it’ll be alright on the night comes to mind.  What’s the point of shelling out excess funds in these credit tightened times on something you may never need? But I like many other Britons are wrong for thinking this way.

The news that one in four UK travellers now skip travel insurance in favour of free travel insurance provided as an afterthought by banks and credit card companies has been met with shock by experts within the industry.

Bogus cover

This type of free cover may not offer the type of extensive cover needed for would be travellers. For instance, Credit card companies may offer a travel accident insurance cover, which just as it says on the tin, only covers you for accidents everywhere but your actual destination. So, planes, trains and automobiles are covered but not where you actually need it.

Patrick Chong, Managing Director of Insuremore, said: "Ultimately, travel accident insurance and any other insurance cover offered for free usually falls well short of providing good cover. Worst of all, many people believe that they are fully covered for their holidays - it is only when they come to claim that they are faced with massive costs that the insurance company won't cover."

"With cheap travel insurance only adding a few pounds to the cost of most journeys and potential costs for cancellation or medical bills running into tens of thousands of pounds, it simply isn't worth the risk to travel without full insurance."

Private

Experts within the industry are understandably concerned about the growing trend amongst travellers to forgo insurance. They also baulk at the thought of privately purchased cover which can leave you with less than adequate care when needed in a foreign country.

Dr Samy Masoud who has worked within the travel insurance sector for a number of years commented, "Most patients would receive better care in one of the country's state hospitals by relying on their EHIC card, than purchasing private insurance."

Although the EHIC card covers most eventualities Dr Masoud is also eager to ensure it can be something that can be relied upon in all types of situations.

Extra

He has attempted to launch the EHICPlus Travel Insurance, though his company The Medical Screening Company Ltd, launched in the UK five years ago and 100% underwritten at Lloyd's. A policy which includes all the fundamentals of an EHIC covers with added bonuses.

He said: 'I was frustrated by the fact that private patients on holiday in Europe were not being treated properly. For example, if someone falls ill in a hotel, the first question they are asked is, 'Do you have private travel insurance?' We believe they get commission, a kick-back from private hospitals for doing so, especially in majorly tourist areas like Spain, Cyprus and Turkey.'

He added: 'I don't know of any private facility in Europe that has proper paediatric cover. And not only that, but they provide patients with unnecessary cover that could be harmful to them, purely in the name of cost.

'Most private hospitals also don't have an intensive care unit. Some will just put in a monitor and call it intensive care so they can charge intensive care rates. There are exceptions where there are some good facilities but they are in the minority. Most patients would be better treated in a state hospital where the food may not be as good, but the facilities and the standard of doctors is better.'