Immigrant's relief after threat of paying £54,000 for own cancer treatment scrapped

Albert Thompson was threatened with paying £54,000 for his own cancer treatment . Credit: ITV News

An immigrant living in the UK since 1973 has finally been given clarity after he was threatened with paying £54,000 for his own cancer treatment.

Albert Thompson - not his real name - was initially denied vital radiotherapy for his prostate cancer unless he could produce the right citizenship documentation.

The 63-year-old, who was born in Jamaica, has been the focus of much coverage during the current Windrush generation row.

Theresa May assured MPs Mr Thomson would be "be receiving the treatment he needs" when his case was raised by Jeremy Corbyn at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.

And he has now been given a date to attend hospital.

But Mr Thompson told ITV News the ordeal left him angry and worried for his health.

"I'm angry about the situation but it's all on the inside because I should have been getting this treatment over and done with," he said.

"But it's taken such a long time that it's very worrying because you can't see what's happening on the inside."

His case has been widely publicised despite the fact he is not technically part of the so-called "Windrush generation", because he arrived in the UK after the Immigration Act came into force.

Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell called for "serious" compensation, saying: "The word compensation came out today - that was highly significant, extremely important.

"It's not just, 'I'm sorry.' People lost a lot, people suffered a lot of pain, and they must be given an opportunity to correct this - some serious compensation," he said.

"If not the person, if they've gone, then the families who have suffered too."

Asked if Mrs May should have accepted the "hostile environment" immigration initiative was a mistake, Mr Mitchell said: "I think the fact she has addressed it is indicating that Britain and the policy they enunciated initially was not the right one.

"And therefore by making the statement she made today, I think she's heading in the right direction. And I'll give her credit for making the right turn."

The number of cases being looked into as a result of calls to the Home Office's dedicated Windrush helpline stood at 286 as of 2pm on Friday.

So far, eight people have been given permanent status.