Parliamentary candidates clashed over local NHS services at a wide-ranging political debate in Witham.

Refugees, voter apathy, business rates, fox hunting and grammar schools were also among the subjects at the lively hustings event at St Nicholas’ Church.

The biggest row of the night came over the NHS, when Ms Patel claimed NHS England and the government were committed to bringing a health centre to Witham town, but GPs were opposed.

She said: “Witham’s GPs would have to come together and work with NHS England to make that possible.

“Not all the GPs want a new health centre in Witham because they are happy to continue as they are in their own practices.

“They need to serve the public, they need to revise the way in which they work.”

Green Party candidate James Abbott said Ms Patel’s claims were an “excuse for failure.”

“Priti Patel has been the MP for Witham for all this time and we don’t have a walk-in clinic,” he said.

“If I was elected it would be my number one priority. You can go to towns much smaller, Maldon for example, and they have a community hospital.

“I think it’s unfair to criticise the GPs, there is a lack of GPs coming through the training system.”

He added: “The Maltings Lane development could have been an opportunity to bring a health centre, ten years have passed and the residents celebrated when they got a bus stop.”

Labour’s John Clarke said: “We are talking about expansion in Witham and they are closing facilities in Chelmsford.

“This isn’t going to happen under Priti Patel. It might have been her number one priority but she’s done nothing about it for five years.”

A hustings event for Braintree's candidates will be held tonight at St Peter’s in the Fields Church, Bocking, from 7.30pm until 9pm.

See next week's Times for a full report.