GP appointment waiting times have reached a 'record high' prompting concerns from a Dorset MP. New figures show more than 377,000 appointments across the county have involved waits of over 28 days since January – a 165 per cent rise compared with five years ago. Continue reading here

Just two per cent of bicycle thefts in Dorset were solved last year, prompting Liberal Democrat MP Vikki Slade to call for tougher action and national support for police. New data from Dorset Police shows only 17 people were charged or summonsed out of 793 reported thefts across the county. Vikki Slade, MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, said cycle theft is becoming “effectively decriminalised” and is backing a proposed national crackdown called “Operation Bike Bait.” Continu

New figures have revealed an alarming rise in GP waiting times across Dorset, with thousands of local residents struggling to access the care they need. Since January, over 377,000 GP appointments in Dorset have had wait-times of more than 28 days, a staggering 165% increase compared to five years ago. The number of patients waiting more than two weeks has also more than doubled, rising from 409,139 in 2020 to 973,538 this year. These figures reflect a growing crisis in our l

The Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole welcomed the Government’s decision to extend the Decent Homes Standard to cover Ministry of Defence (MoD) accommodation for the first time. Following years of campaigning by the Liberal Democrats, the Government has agreed to amend the Renters’ Rights Bill to require all service family homes to be assessed annually and reported on. Read the rest here .

‘IN A word, I hate it’ is one MP’s response to Labour’s controversial plan to roll out compulsory digital identity cards. Continue...