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By CLARE ELLICOTT
Daily Mail
Last updated at 1:12 AM on 13th August 2009
The NHS has become a political football in the U.S. after critics of Barack Obama's health reforms labelled it 'evil'.
Professor Stephen Hawking has spoken out in defence of the NHS saying he 'would not be here' were it not for the British health service.
The Republican Right claims that White House proposals for universal health care would introduce a 'socialist' system similar to Britain's.
'I wouldn't be here if not for the NHS': Stephen Hawking has spoken out in defence of British healthcare (file photo).
Others insist that President Obama's plans are for a system fundamentally different to ours.
He wants a publicly backed scheme to provide for the 47 million Americans who are without private health insurance and the 25 million who are under-insured.
But opponents have begun a campaign equating the two - and in the process peddling some vicious myths, such as tales of NHS 'death panels' that deny care to the elderly and disabled and put an 'Orwellian' cap on the value of human life.
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley claimed that Democrat Senator Edward Kennedy, who is being treated for a brain tumour, would be left to die in Britain because he is 77.
Protests against Obama's proposals are becoming increasingly rabid, even leading to attacks on the UK'S NHS.
And the Investor's Business Daily said in an editorial: 'People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn't have a chance in the UK, where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless.'
Editorial Note: President Obama bestowed the Medal of Freedom on Cambridge University Professor Stephen Hawking, one of the few scientists ever to receive this honor. Hawking was among 16 luminaries to receive the award from President Obama. See related stories in Scientific American and the New York Times.
They had to correct the piece when it was pointed out that the physicist was born, lives and works in the UK.
Mr Hawking said: 'I wouldn't be here today if it were not for the NHS.'
The debate, which has dominated the U.S. political agenda for weeks, has seen former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin call Mr Obama's proposals 'evil', and others routinely lambast the 'British-style' plan.
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