JEREMY CORBYN led tributes in Parliament today to Stephen Hawking, reiterating the astrophysicist’s concerns over the creeping privatisation of the NHS.

The Labour leader said during Prime Minister’s Questions that Mr Hawking praised the “excellent medical attention” he received from the NHS.

Mr Hawking was only given a few years to live when he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease at the age 22. He died yesterday aged 76.

Mr Corbyn cornered Theresa May over Mr Hawking’s warnings last August of the “inadequate numbers” of doctors and nurses as well as the lack of NHS funding that is “getting worse.”

Ms May tried to defend her government’s cuts and supposed recruitment drive, despite Mr Corbyn highlighting that 100,000 NHS jobs are vacant.

The Prime Minister had sparked outrage online after tweeting that Mr Hawking was an “inspiration” whose legacy “will not be forgotten.” Fellow users pointed out that Mr Hawking had condemned Tory austerity and privatisation and that Ms May was placing people with disabilities like Mr Hawking at risk.

Mr Corbyn called on the PM to “get a grip” on the NHS by increasing pay for staff and ensure “proper funding” for treatment and facilities.

He also pressed the PM to explain why universal healthcare had been denied to some people, highlighting the case of a man who has lived in Britain for 44 years but has been asked by a hospital to pay £54,000 for cancer treatment unless he can produce a British passport.

Albert Thompson arrived in Britain from Jamaica when he was a teenager because his mum came over to work as an NHS nurse.

Last July, he was evicted from his council-owned accommodation because officials questioned his immigration status.

In October, the Department of Health published new guidance telling NHS trusts that it was their legal responsibility to charge overseas visitors.

Mr Corbyn urged Ms May to take up his case with the Home Office.