We contacted all of the candidates vying for your vote to be the next MP for the Wells and Mendip Hills constituency, asking each of them the same questions. We've taken their responses exactly as they were sent to us - so you know where each of the candidates stand, to help you decide who to vote for.

How do you intend to improve access to healthcare services in Wells and Shepton, especially considering the strain on NHS resources?

Meg Powell-Chandler - Conservative:

"Access to GPs is key. Across Somerset in 2023, GP surgeries delivered 3.6 million appointments – the equivalent of each person seeing their practice six times. But because of our older demographic (people over 70 have 5x more appointments than younger people) demand is growing. The Conservatives have committed to building 100 new GP surgeries and modernising 150 more – I would be knocking on the Health Secretary’s door to make sure our area benefitted from this programme.

We are committed to increasing NHS spending above inflation each year, building on record investment in the NHS and the budget being one third higher in real terms than it was in 2010.

That money will be invested in the staff. Like most people, I have family who work in the NHS - we all know the staff are the backbone of the health service. Our Long Term Workforce Plan will deliver 92,000 more nurses and 28,000 more doctors with more training places and better retention of hardworking NHS staff.

It will also invest in facilities – we want to bring care closer to patients. We’ve opened 160 Community Diagnostic Centres – seen them in Bristol, Weston, Taunton with spades in the ground in Yeovil. They have performed 7 million tests, scans and checks so far, relieving pressure on hospitals. We are committed to opening 50 more of these.

I support the use of Pharmacy First to make use of our skilled pharmacists to help relieve pressure on GP appointments – and expanding the services it can provide to cover menopause support and chest and skin infections. In the first 90 days Pharmacy first was in place in Somerset it was used 1,400 times, helping relieve pressure on GP services.

The Conservative manifesto also includes a commitment to amend the NHS Constitution to reflect the bespoke health care needs of rural communities and the need for the NHS to tailor services accordingly – which I warmly welcome."

Craig Clarke - Independent:

"I will build one new community hospital in the Cheddar area that will ease our use of your community hospitals so increase appointment availability to you. More dentists so everyone can register to a practice."

Helen Hims - Reform UK:

"Despite record extra funding in recent years, NHS healthcare outcomes have declined. While still free at the point of delivery, our healthcare needs major reforms to improve results and enjoy zero waiting lists.

In order to end doctor and nurse shortages, all frontline NHS and social care staff will pay zero basic rate tax for three years. This will help retain existing staff and attract back those who have left.

We will use independent healthcare capacity locally, nationwide and overseas.

Tax relief of 20% on all private healthcare and insurance. This will improve care for local residents by relieving pressure on the NHS.

Mental health issues must be treated with the same urgency as physical health issues and funded accordingly. Greater personal control over treatments and placements should be afforded to this vulnerable group.

Cut back office waste and inefficiency to save more on the frontline.

Reject the World Health Organisation (WHO) Pandemic Treaty which threatens to impose global health restrictions such as lockdowns and mandatory vaccinations on us without being held to account."

Abi McGuire - Independent:

"I have worked for the NHS. This is an area that needs addressing in parliament. One of the reasons I am running as an independent is to advocate for respectful debate and decision making. All of the parties believe in having a good and functional NHS but are unable to work collaboratively to find a way forward. We need to reduce waste and ensure a more efficient and well-run service that supports our staff working in the NHS and enables the public to access the service in reasonable timeframes."

Tessa Munt - Liberal Democrat:

"People all over the country are paying the price for the failure to support the NHS and its workforce, and this is felt even more in rural communities where accessing services can be so much harder.

Lib Dem plans would deliver £9 billion of investment and reform, making it possible to see your GP within seven days (24 hours if it’s urgent), as well as introducing free personal care for the elderly and disabled, reforming dentistry so people can see an NHS dentist, and improving access to mental health services in every community.

We’d also commit to establishing a strategic small surgeries fund to sustain GP services in rural and remote areas and we’d strengthen the role that pharmacies can play, as they’re often more easily accessible.

The Conservatives have failed to address the multiple issues that are causing a strain on the NHS and we have to take a whole system approach to fixing this. In the likely scenario we have a Labour Government next week, the Lib Dems will hold their feet to the fire to ensure positive progress on the issues above."

Joe Joseph - Labour and Co-op:

"We need to clear the waiting lists by unlocking 40,000 extra appointments on evenings and weekends. We will also create 700,000 emergency dental appointments a year in the UK, to address the crisis in NHS dentistry in the constituency. 100,000 of these places will go to children. We’ll also recruit 8,500 mental health professionals, which I know is important to people in Wells given the closure of St Andrew’s ward.

These priorities are only our first steps in fixing the NHS. There is far more that needs to follow, like doubling the number of scanners to improve early diagnosis of illness."

Peter Welsh- Green Party:

No response was received.

What measures will you take to support mental health services in our area?

Meg Powell-Chandler - Conservative:

"We need to invest in mental health services to support people to get the care they need – be that through talking therapies or support for severe mental illness. I want to see every school have a specially trained mental health expert so that young people have access to their support. The Conservatives have pledged to spend an extra £730 million a year by 2029-30 to increase access to treatment and support, on top of the record funding we committed this Parliament."

Craig Clarke - Independent:

"I will build one new community hospital in the Cheddar area that will ease our use of your community hospitals so increase appointment availability to you. More dentists so everyone can register to a practice."

Helen Hims - Reform UK:

"Mental health issues must be treated with the same urgency as physical health issues and funded accordingly. Greater personal control over treatments and placements should be afforded to this vulnerable group."

Abi McGuire - Independent:

"I have extensive experience in this field. The support we offer is not fit for purpose. CAMHS (child and adolescent mental health service) for example offer a six-week program when the recommended duration is 12 weeks. If we are going to provide support for people we must follow the recommendations by the mental health services. We need to be more proactive with mental health service provision rather than firefighting."

Tessa Munt - Liberal Democrat:

"The nation’s deteriorating mental health is one of the biggest challenges we face. The cost of poor mental health is estimated to total £120bn every year. The Lib Dems would put mental health on the same footing as physical health and our manifesto has a whole range of commitments, some of these include:

• Opening walk-in hubs for children and young people in every community.
• Offering regular mental health check-ups at key points in people’s lives when they are most vulnerable to mental ill-health.
• Ending out-of-area mental health placements so that no one is treated far from home.
• Transforming perinatal mental health support for those who are pregnant, new mothers, and those who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth.
• Cutting suicide rates with a focus on community suicide prevention services and improving prevention training for frontline NHS staff.
• Recognising the relationship between mental health and debt, and providing better signposting between talking therapies and debt advice.
• Modernising the Mental Health Act to strengthen people’s rights, give them more choice and control over their treatment and prevent inappropriate detentions."

Joe Joseph - Labour and Co-op:

"We need to recruit 8,500 mental health professionals to support mental health services in our area. This is crucial given the closure of St Andrew’s ward in Wells. Additionally, we need to ensure mental health services are available and accessible to everyone in the community."

Peter Welsh- Green Party:

No response was received.