British mother in Turkey appeals for help after partner hospitalised with head injury and hit with £17,000 bill

A British mother stranded in Turkey is appealing for financial help after her partner was hospitalised with a head injury and presented with more than £17,000 in bills at a private hospital in Antalya, she said.

Courtney Lee, from Salford, told the Daily Mail that her partner, Mark Snelgrove, fell from an estimated eight-metre wall in the early hours of Sunday and was unconscious for several minutes before being taken by ambulance to Lara Anatolia Hospital. Lee said the private hospital demanded a payment of 5,000 euros (about £4,333) within 30 minutes of their arrival to cover an ambulance transfer and CT scans, and later presented a further 15,000 euros (about £13,000) to cover an intensive care unit stay until Monday, bringing the total to roughly £17,000.

Lee said Snelgrove remained in hospital after the initial admission and was unfit to fly home. Medical updates posted by Lee and cited by the Daily Mail said Snelgrove had suffered a bleed on the brain that was "stable" but not actively bleeding, and that he would require a stent. The couple were told his recovery could take up to three weeks, and any further treatment or care would add to the hospital bill, Lee said.

Lee, a mother of three who gave birth seven weeks ago, said she has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to pay the fees and to bring Snelgrove home. She said she and Snelgrove had travelled to Antalya for dental work and that neither had taken out travel insurance. Lee described difficulties communicating with hospital staff because of the language barrier and said she has been told the hospital would not provide a full written breakdown of costs until certain payments were made.

Lee said local police advised her to negotiate and not to make immediate full payments. She also said she has been provided with a translator and has contacted the British Embassy in Ankara, which she said would communicate with the hospital to try to arrange a payment plan.

The hospital billed for emergency imaging and intensive care within days of Snelgrove's admission, according to Lee's account. She said staff asked for a large upfront payment before surgical staples had been applied and that she feared being "taken for a fool" while trying to navigate the health system in a foreign country.

There is no reciprocal health-care agreement between the United Kingdom and Turkey. The UK government advises travellers to purchase comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling to Turkey and notes that European Health Insurance Cards (EHICs) and Global Health Insurance Cards (GHICs) are not valid there. The guidance warns that serious injuries and evacuations can generate very high costs for uninsured travellers.

A spokeswoman for the British embassy said consular staff can provide assistance in cases involving hospitalisation abroad, including help with communication and arranging support, but cannot pay medical bills. The Daily Mail contacted Lara Anatolia Hospital for comment; the hospital had not provided a response as of the latest reports.

Health experts and travel insurers commonly advise that emergency treatment abroad can require immediate payment at private hospitals and that travellers should ensure they have policies that cover hospital stays, emergency repatriation and potential long-term treatment. Lee's account highlights the challenges faced by travellers who require urgent medical care overseas without insurance, including large upfront demands for payment, language barriers and uncertainty over costs and discharge arrangements.

Lee said she remained at Snelgrove's bedside while he received treatment and was awaiting further medical updates and clarity on the cost breakdown. The hospitalisation has left her balancing the urgent need to secure care for her partner with pressing family responsibilities back in the UK, she said.