TV doctor Dr Hilary Jones has heaped praise on a groundbreaking new NHS injection that takes just 60 seconds to administer and is set to transform the lives of tens of thousands of patients. Appearing on ITV's Lorraine, the well-known medic spoke glowingly about the health service's newly introduced pembrolizumab jab.

The rollout of the jab has been described as "revolutionary". It is a new immunotherapy injection that is set to benefit patients suffering from 14 different types of cancer. He told viewers: "The way it works is by blocking a protein, which stops your immune system recognising cancer cells

"So your immune system will recognise those cancer cells more quickly and more efficiently and start to get rid of them." Extolling the virtues of the drug, which comes in an injectable form of pembrolizumab (Keytruda), Dr Hilary said: "It's going to prolong people's lives. It's going to cure people, either in use alone or with other chemotherapy. So it's really good news."

A clip of Dr Hilary's comments about the drug has been widely shared across social media via Lorraine's official Instagram account, with scores of viewers flooding the comment section to express their delight at the "good news". One wrote: "This is really incredible." A second posted: "Game changer." A third added: "This is amazing news!"

Vast numbers of NHS patients and staff throughout England are expected to reap the benefits of the injection, reports the Mirror. Dr Hilary explained: "It is replacing an intravenous infusion that used to take two hours. So in one minute, you can have the jab every three weeks." He continued: "And it means that people don't have to go to hospital for two hours at a time and have this infusion running... We're so lucky to have this on the NHS. First place to roll it out. People don't realise this could cost about £100,000 a year."

"People are so lucky to be able to have this. It's going to help staff with time and costings. And also cervical cancer, the fourth biggest global cancer in women in Australia, they reckon are going to eliminate it by 2035 and 2048 in the UK."

NHS England describes the introduction of the drug as a landmark moment in cancer treatment. It cuts treatment times by up to 90%, enabling patients to spend considerably less time in hospital while simultaneously improving NHS productivity.

The groundbreaking treatment has been approved for 14 distinct cancer types, amongst them lung, breast, cervical, and head and neck cancers. By stimulating the body's own immune cells to identify and attack cancer cells, the drug remains a fundamental pillar of therapy, though the new delivery method replaces an intravenous infusion that typically takes up to two hours per session.

Around 14,000 patients commence pembrolizumab treatment each year in England, with the vast majority now expected to switch to this more straightforward under-the-skin injection. Depending on the particular cancer type, the jab will be given either as a one-minute injection every three weeks or a two-minute injection every six weeks, freeing up crucial clinical capacity and easing the pressure on treatment units.

Shirley Xerxes, 89, from St Albans, London, became one of the first people in the UK to receive the new jab at the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. Following years of conventional infusions, the switch to a swift injection has revolutionised the treatment experience for patients such as Shirley, who can now get on with their everyday lives almost immediately after attending the clinic.

"I was only in the chair for a matter of minutes instead of an hour or more," Shirley hailed after her appointment. "It's made such a difference and gives me more time to live my life, including spending more time gardening."

Professor Peter Johnson, NHS National Clinical Director for Cancer, said: "This immunotherapy offers a lifeline for thousands of patients and it's fantastic that this new rapid jab can now take just a minute to deliver - meaning patients can get back to living their lives rather than spending hours in a hospital chair.

"Managing cancer treatment and regular hospital trips can be really exhausting, and not only will this innovation make therapy much quicker and more convenient for patients, it will also help free up vital appointments for NHS teams to treat more people and continue to bring down waiting times"

Pembrolizumab, manufactured by MSD, works by blocking a protein called PD-1, which acts as a brake on immune responses, releasing the immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells. Patients receiving the drug alongside other intravenous treatments may continue with an infusion where clinically appropriate.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: "Our National Cancer Plan promised to do more and go faster for patients - already we are delivering that change. As a cancer survivor, I know how important quick treatment is, and this roll out will offer quicker, more convenient care, saving patients time and helping them in their recovery with less time in hospital.

"Not only that - it'll also free up valuable time so clinicians can care for even more people and potentially save even more lives. The government is providing the health service with record funding - around 40,000 more people are starting treatment on time, and rates of early diagnosis are hitting record highs. Through innovations like this, we're making every penny and every second count, and ensuring patients get NHS care that fits around their lives, not the other way around."

James Richardson, National Specialty Advisor for Cancer Drugs at NHS England, said: "This is a win-win innovation because patients will spend far less time in hospital and crucially our clinical teams will have more capacity to care for others. The time saved through this change is a huge gain for the NHS and demonstrates how we are continuing to modernise cancer care for the benefit of patients."

Side effects can differ from one patient to the next, and are also dependent upon any additional treatments being administered alongside the drug. Cancer Research UK said: "This treatment affects the immune system. This may cause inflammation in different parts of the body which can cause serious side effects. They could happen during treatment, or some months after treatment has finished. In some people, these side effects could be life-threatening."

The organisation says common side effects include breathlessness and looking pale, fatigue, diarrhoea, feeling or being sick, skin changes, low levels of thyroid hormone, loss of appetite, headaches, constipation, pain in different parts of your body and fluid build-up.