On Thursday, September 13, I arrived back at Heathrow from Horta Hospital in Portuguese Azores, having been medically discharged from a cruise ship on September 6 into that hospital. 

As a citizen of a member state of the EU, I received five and a half days treatment and care, plus drugs and syringes for a further three days, all at no direct cost to me as a holder of the E111 green card. 

The hospital made it clear that dealing with the EU was their preferred option over insurance companies. 

It also became clear that mobile calls between the Azores and the UK were charged at the same rate as between Wycombe and Beaconsfield, due to the EU stopping phone companies charging eye-watering rates for phoning into Europe. 

After March 29, these benefits will be lost, travel insurance into Europe will be of a prohibitive cost, as they would foot the bill for hospitalisation. Whoever heard of an insurance company losing money?

And phones can go back to charging extortionate rates for phoning into Europe.

After experiencing the EU inaction, I seriously question the decision to leave – do the public understand the consequences of leaving?

Perhaps a postponement of article 50 for a rethink might be an idea, or the government do just that and stop acting like a bunch of lemmings. 

M.J Leslie, Seer Green