A FORMER cancer patient has spoken of his battle to get travel insurance – after he was quoted more than £4,400 to cover a two-week trip to Mexico.

Tony Gellett, 59, from Horsham, retired from his full-time job as a teacher after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2015.

He underwent a keyhole surgery, but in 2016 doctors identified secondary cancer on his liver. He had surgery and then chemotherapy.

He is currently teaching at a school in Leatherhead.

Mr Gallett and his wife, Jacqui, 53, decided to go on a holiday in March to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. He had contacted several travel insurances and one of them quoted him a whopping £4,483.

Mr Gallett said: “I rang one company for a quote and they asked me if I was sitting down.

“So I asked them ‘do I need to be sitting down?’ and they replied ‘actually, you might be better lying down!’ I was quoted £4,438.03.

“In between treatments my doctor said to me to have a good break. In many cases like this, the cover is more expensive than the holiday, really silly prices. These companies need to understand that behind every application is an individual.

“There’s lots of ringing round, going online, answering the same personal questions over and over again only to be told, ‘We can’t cover you at this time’. It’s really stupid.”

After much struggle, the Galletts managed to find an insurance company that quoted them £275.

According to a research by YouGov in 2017, some 7,500 Brits who have had cancer paid £1,000 or more for travel insurance for a single trip.

Mrs Gallett said: “The insurance companies charged us a ridiculous amount just because Tony was a cancer patient. After his chemotherapy, doctors told us he was cancer-free.

“He still needs to have check-ups, but that’s just standard.

“Tony managed to get the right price because he is a member of the National Federation of Occupational Pensioners. They helped us find a company which offered a reasonable price.

“Tony spoke to friends and colleagues to get advice. I think companies shouldn’t have a one-size-fits-all policy because everyone’s health situation is different.

“More needs to be done for people with pre-existing conditions.

“From our experience my advice to people is always do your research, and you should call several places before making a decision.”