More than 123,000 patients in Dorset waited over a month for a GP appointment in October, prompting calls for a new legal right to be seen within seven days. Liberal Democrat analysis shows the figure represents a 213 per cent rise compared with July last year, when Labour took office, with waiting times increasing sharply across the county as demand continues to grow. The full article can be read here .

A change to inheritance tax rules for family farms has been welcomed locally, with the Government raising the threshold from one million pounds to two point five million. The move follows sustained pressure from farming communities and Liberal Democrat MPs, after concerns that earlier plans could have forced long established family farms to sell land or cease trading, particularly in rural parts of Dorset. Vikki Slade said the decision was a positive step but warned it did no

Hospital admissions for flu have risen sharply, prompting calls for urgent community vaccination measures to protect vulnerable Dorset residents. Calls have been made for vaccinations to be delivered in familiar community venues across Dorset, including village halls, pubs and churches, as pressure on NHS services increases and hospital admissions linked to flu rise week on week. The proposals have been backed by Vikki Slade, who says Dorset’s older population means the count

Andrew Kenway has been named the first Local Hero Award winner for Mid Dorset and North Poole after being recognised for his contribution to community life. The award, launched by Vikki Slade MP, is designed to highlight individuals and organisations whose everyday actions help strengthen communities across the constituency, with a focus on work that often happens quietly and without public recognition. The full article can be read here

Full transcript https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-12-16/debates/9843086C-BCF0-45C3-BCD7-25F24B119AA3/TransgenderPeopleProvisionOfHealthcare#contribution-B121BA0C-71BA-4081-A56C-A42B5D940E7C

Thousands of people have signed a petition opposing the controversial mandatory digital ID policy, an MP says. Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole, Vikki Slade, has urged ministers to scrap the policy. This comes after a Westminster Hall debate on the subject. The full article can be read here .

MP is calling to give council powers to restrict junk food advertising near schools and other places where young people spend considerable periods of time. Mid Dorset & North Poole MP Vikki Slade is working to table a new clause in the devolution bill giving councils the power to regulate advertising on privately-owned billboards. The full article can be read here

A Dorset athlete’s Olympic selection has led to renewed calls for action on sports funding after local MP Vikki Slade said financial pressures were putting young talent at risk. Jacques Jefferies, whose grandmother lives in Mid Dorset and North Poole, will represent Team GB at the Winter Olympics in February. He has reached the highest level of his sport but is covering his own costs through a fundraising page. The full article can be read here .

Council leaders across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire say Wessex should be allowed to press ahead with mayoral elections in 2027 following Government delays to devolution plans elsewhere They say the region has already completed its local government reorganisation and is ready to move forward. In a joint statement, they said they want Wessex to join other fully unitary areas preparing for mayoral polls in the same year. The full article ca