Responding to the announcement of regulatory approval for the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, the chief executive of NHS Providers, Chris Hopson, said:

"This is great news.

"An effective vaccine – along with advances in treatment and rapid turnaround mass testing – presents real hope for a way out of the pandemic.

"It's reassuring to know that the regulator has reached this decision only after very careful evaluation of safety, quality and effectiveness.

"The logistics of administering the Pfizer/BioNTech jab are formidable, but the NHS has been preparing for this, and trusts will play a key role.

"The health service has an excellent track record of delivering vaccination programmes – though this will be on an unprecedented scale, with added challenges because of the need to run mass vaccination centres and the requirement for cold storage.

"And while this announcement gives great cause for hope, it's important to remember that this does not mean life gets back to normal – at least until the spring or early summer.

"For the time being our best defence against COVID-19 is to prevent infection by observing lockdown restrictions. We'll need that to get through the tough winter weeks ahead.

"But now at least we have the prospect of better days ahead."