A family from Bridport is desperately trying to raise £34,000 to bring their brother, son and husband back to the UK for the care he needs after he caught Covid on holiday.

Stuart Haskins, who grew up in Bridport, is currently suffering from coronavirus in a hospital in Cyprus, but his family want to bring him home urgently as they say he is receiving poor care and they are worried he will never leave.

They have set up a fundraising page - which has so far raised more than £15,000 - to get him the medical transport he needs to come home as the insurance company is "dragging its feet".

Stuart and his wife Tracey, who both went to Colfox school, are both fully vaccinated and decided to go to Cyprus for a holiday this November, leaving on November 3. They were due to have booster jabs before their holiday, but these were cancelled due to a shortage.

The pair were due to come back to the UK on Saturday, November 13, but the day before, Stuart - who will be 54 on December 6 - developed chest pains and had a very high temperature and was advised to go to the local hospital where they both tested positive for Coronavirus. Tracey had no symptoms but both were admitted overnight and had other tests, with Stuart being put on oxygen.

The next day, Tracey was taken to a Covid isolation hotel over an hour away from the hospital Stuart is in, and on the Sunday, Stuart was diagnosed with double pneumonia and on the Tuesday, he was admitted to ICU without an explanation.

The family reports there has been many complications and poor care since being in hospital, including wet bed sheets not being changed, a broken alert button and mistakes with the catheter resulting in infection.

His brother, David Haskins, said: "There has been a lot of mistakes; the catheter wasn't put in right, there was a kink in the breathing part of his ventilator and since he's been in the ICU, his ventilator broke in the middle of the night, the alarms didn't work, so he went all through the night without the ventilator.

"He's now got high blood pressure and I've just been told he's got a semi collapse lung.

"We just want to get him back, but it's a lot of money. The medical plane is a way of getting him back here, isolated in a bubble so the pilot is completely safe, everyone is completely safe, he can continue to get his treatment and put in a hospital over here.

"It's a real worry - he's got asthma as well.

"We're keeping everything crossed and saying our prayers. We try and speak to him every day.

"He needs to be on a ventilator 22 hours a day and the ventilator not working is setting him back and doing damage."

His sister, Lisa Tattershall, said: "Stuart has a history of depression and is frightened at what is happening."

His wife Tracey has now been isolating for 11 days and has been allowed to stay for a few more days as Stuart is in ICU, but she is not allowed to leave her room.

Lisa added: "It has been extremely tough and stressful being on her own.

"The insurance company has been extremely unhelpful… sending forms for Tracey to print out and sign a release of Stuart's medical records that she of course can't do as she has no printer. I was able to sign the paperwork on behalf of Stuart to help move things.

"The insurance company is dragging its feet and saying it needs seven to 10 days to get hold of Stuart's medical records in the UK.

"I contacted two repatriation companies recommended by the British Embassy, who are familiar with the hospital and said he needs to come home as it is known for poor care. They said they could move him within 24 to 48 hours, but the mere fact the insurance company is taking so long and wanting to look at Stuart's GP records, they are looking for loopholes to get out of helping him.

"It is terrible that you pay for insurance yet when you need it in an emergency you are virtually powerless, waiting for several days that Stuart may simply not have.

"The British Embassy agreed Stuart needs to be flown back to the UK for medical treatment as the hospital in Cyprus is failing him.

"Our fear is him being left there, he may never come out, which is why we're hoping to raise the money ASAP before it's too late.

"Stuart is in a frightening situation, contending with broken equipment and poor languages."

Stuart's parents, Pauline and George Haskins, live in Beaminster and while Stuart lived in the area, he was an active member of the Bridport Conservative Club, being the chairman there for many years, even after he moved to Trowbridge in the last five years.

For more information and to donate, visit justgiving.com

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