Nuneaton’s MP Marcus Jones has issued a warning to holidaymakers about the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) as families prepare for their summer holidays.

A number of websites are attempting to charge people for their card, at a time of year when applications significantly increase, and Marcus is keen to do all he can to protect local people. EHICs are free to people who are ordinarily resident in the UK.

The Government is taking action to tackle websites which are charging for EHICs, which people tend to visit after clicking on a ‘sponsored advert’ link. Google has removed a number of such adverts and the Government Digital Service is continuing to work with other search engines.

Information and the official application about the EHIC can be found at www.gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card or by calling 0300 3301350.

If anyone has already been affected by this issue, you can report misleading websites at www.gov.uk/misleadingwebsites, where you can submit a complaint to search engine providers.

Commenting on this situation, Marcus said: “There are some key facts to remember when applying for a European Health Insurance Card. Firstly, they are free to people ordinarily resident in the UK. If you are being asked to pay for a card, you are not on the official EHIC website. An EHIC is not a substitute for travel insurance, so people should have both.

“I am deeply troubled that people are trying to earn cash for a card that is free to people, so I would ask people to be cautious when they are applying for their EHIC, and to report any suspicious or misleading websites.”