A new five-minute ‘super jab’ that helps to treat 15 different types of cancer is being rolled out across the country.
The NHS is the first in Europe to offer the new injection.
The health service is rolling out an injectable form of immunotherapy, called nivolumab, which means patients can receive their fortnightly or monthly treatment within just five minutes, instead of up to an hour via an IV drip.
The new jab can be used to treat 15 cancer types, including skin cancer, bladder, and oesophagus, and it’s estimated around 1,200 patients in England per month could benefit.
Following the approval from the UK’s medicines regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), it’s said that the roll-out will save more than a year’s worth of treatment time for patients and NHS teams annually, and enable patients to spend less time in hospital while freeing up staff capacity to deliver more appointments and treatments.
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The NHS is introducing a new five-minute injection for 15 types of cancer, including skin, bladder and oesophageal.
NHS staff administering the jab could save around 1,000 hours of treatment time for patients and clinicians every month.
In clinical trials, patients were found to be ‘highly satisfied’ with the under-the-skin injection, which takes up to five minutes maximum to administer, and said they much preferred it to the IV form of the drug which takes 30 to 60 minutes every two weeks or four weeks, depending on the cancer type.
Around two in five patients who currently receive IV nivolumab – which is one of the most widely used cancer treatments – should be eligible for the new jab, the NHS has confirmed.
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On top of this, most eligible new patients are also expected to begin on the injectable form of nivolumab, rather than the IV.
The NHS is rolling out five-minute ‘super jab’ to treat 15 different types of cancer / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
Going forward, NHS cancer services will now be preparing to treat the first patients with the new treatment from next month, which is when supplies of the product are received in the UK, as this will help with the capacity demands in cancer day units, where the drug is currently administered.
“Immunotherapy has already been a huge step forward for many NHS patients with cancer, and being able to offer it as an injection in minutes means we can make the process far more convenient,” commented Professor Peter Johnson, who is NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer.
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“This treatment is used for 15 different types of the disease, so it will free up thousands of valuable clinicians’ time every year, allowing teams to treat even more patients and helping hospital capacity.
“And this is just the latest development in the NHS’s ongoing commitment to provide patients with the latest cancer therapies and treatment options that truly transform lives”.
Featured Image – Gustavo Fring (via Unsplash)
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‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
Emily Sergeant -
1st May 2025 
