Kate Garraway has revealed that she is currently facing up to £800,000 in medical bills for her late husband Derek Draper's care.
In an interview with The Times, the Good Morning Britain presenter said that the debts from Derek's round-the-clock care were estimated to be around £500,000 to £800,000 in total.
"Derek's needs were clearly so great, yet he didn't warrant funded care – so you think, 'If he isn't getting it, then who is?'" the TV presenter said of the debt.
She continued: "To be fair to them, no one's contacted me since he's passed away to ask for that. They may well still do, but they haven't as yet.
Related: Kate Garraway marks family milestone as 'Derek would have wanted'
"The bigger picture of the further appeals I haven't addressed yet, because I'm still in survival mode."
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Former political lobbyist Draper passed away on January 3 of this year after a battle with severe health complications caused by COVID-19. He was hospitalised for 13 months while combatting the illness.
Following his release from hospital, Draper had needed specialised care and constant supervision while at home, something which the family had struggled to get funding for.
"It's supposed to be a system that's meant to catch you if you fall," Garraway said of the care system. "But actually, it feels like it's trying to catch you out.
"You feel like you're in the dock answering questions about things that will literally mean life or death to someone you love."
Related: Kate Garraway shares touching tribute to Derek Draper amid radio return
Draper's final moments will be shown in upcoming ITV documentary Kate Garraway: Derek's Story which is set to air on Tuesday (March 26). The programme will also address the challenges that those living with serious illness and disability face, as well as the impact it has on their loved ones.
Garraway explained that she made the documentary because she felt a responsibility to "give a voice to all those I now feel so responsible to speak up for".
"The idea of 'continuing care' [for patients discharged home with high medical needs] is a unicorn. That's what people who work in it tell me. The system kept on saying Derek had no primary health needs. But he could not be left alone," she reiterated.
"I can't just abandon this because Derek no longer needs it," the broadcaster continued.
"We have to all understand that this level of abandonment of care is coming for us all, or for someone we love, unless we make it our priority. Because, flipping heck, when you're in it and you need it, it's the only thing that counts."
Garraway revealed she found creating the documentary "emotional" during an interview with Good Morning Britain co-presenter Ed Balls, saying she wanted to "jump in the screen" when watching it back.
"You can't quite believe that he's not with us to watch his story. But hopefully, it will be very useful for others going through the same thing. That's the dream and the wish," she added.
Kate Garraway: Derek's Story airs at 9pm on ITV on Tuesday, March 26.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career.
Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.
