And the reason why virtually all British people travel with insurance is because at home we do not need private medical insurance, since we have nationalised healthcare. I'm with alanR - it's exceptionally rare to find someone British travelling overseas without insurance, particularly when we hear such horror stories of the costs of treatment in the US. It's an assumption that is pretty safe to make about British people that they willl have travel insurance.

As to the treatment the girls got - it really sounds appalling. Frankly appalling. Just because it may be 'procedure' does not make it correct. I think someone should have contacted the embassy pronto (the mother preferably, but you have to be fairly knowledgeable to realise the embassy may be able to help in situations like this - and also fit enough. Given she had just been admitted into hospital, and effectively been told by the hospital 'don't worry, they'll be looked after', I'm not surprised a severely ill woman accepted that reassurance. But Social Services surely should realise when dealing with foreign nationals that the embassy may need to be informed?)