applause and there you have it. i have to say, i have watched a lot of speeches after inquiries and that has to be one of the most powerful and rousing i've ever seen. sir brian langstaff getting a standing ovation as he wraps up his speech on the day that he released his findings from the infected blood inquiry that he oversaw. just look at the people in that room. many have been waiting for decades for him to say what he said today. you are watching bbc news. we are live in central london outside the westminster methodist hall where we have just heard from sir brian

langstaff who chaired the infected blood scandal inquiry. he spoke for the last a0 minutes, it was a moving and rousing address where he went through some of the findings that his inquiry published in its final report today. let's go through some of the main conclusions he made. he concluded that the treatment disaster could and should have been largely avoided. the five—year investigation accuses doctors, the government and the nhs of trying to cover up what happened. they found patients were knowingly exposed to what he described as unacceptable risks and he found a catalogue of failures with catastrophic consequences. the prime minister, rishi sunak, is expected to issue an apology later on today. i am joined now by my colleague ali price who was also listening to what we heard

from sir brian langstaff. 0ne was also listening to what we heard from sir brian langstaff. one of the overwhelming conclusions having listened to that and to so many other and family members is that feeling of vindication, a feeling of we have been talking about this for years. and today sir brian langstaff conceded they were right. he conceded they were right. he conceded that all along the things they were saying about how this treatment was affected and it was encouraging the spread of hepatitis and hiv and how it led to untimely deaths and all of this he described as a calamity. deaths and all of this he described as a calamity-— deaths and all of this he described as a calamity. that's right. so much has been made _ as a calamity. that's right. so much has been made of _ as a calamity. that's right. so much has been made of compensation - as a calamity. that's right. so much| has been made of compensation and what money everyone will get and of course it's a huge part of it, that he seems to understand this issue that today is not really about compensation, today is about

vindication. we heard from some of the victims from the campaign groups earlier who talked about how they feel like they have been shouting in the wind for a0 years. because they hadn't been listened to. that is reflected in the report. it goes through the mistakes that were made, theissues through the mistakes that were made, the issues that were missed and we will talk about those, but it also talks about how there was trauma caused by the fact the victims were ignored and the call for an inquiry took for as long as it did. at the end of a statement we heard the issue of all of this is timing. 650 people have died since the beginning of this inquiry. it's estimated one person infected who dies with infected blood ties every four days. so there is an urgency and this has

been going on for decades. the inquiry has gone on for five years. and we are losing people. he paid tribute to and in particular were given evidence on the first day. i think now we can take you to live pictures of inside where there is a memorial to one of those who died. —— to honour.

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i want justice for those i wantjustice for those little boys. i wantjustice for my parents. i want the truth to come out. lives -- lies_ i want the truth to come out. lives -- lies have — i want the truth to come out. lives —— lies have been told, papers have been _ —— lies have been told, papers have been destroyed and for too long everything has been swept under the carpet _ everything has been swept under the carpet we _ everything has been swept under the carpet. we need and we deserve answers — carpet. we need and we deserve answers. we carpet. we need and we deserve answers. ~ , ., , . . answers. we 'ust want 'ustice. we want the answers. we just want 'ustice. we want the truth, h answers. we just want 'ustice. we want the truth, we _ answers. we just wantjustice. we want the truth, we want _ want the truth, we want accountability. - want the truth, we want accountability. and - want the truth, we want accountability. and that| want the truth, we want - accountability. and that this is dealt — accountability. and that this is dealt with_ accountability. and that this is dealt with properly _ accountability. and that this is dealt with properly and - accountability. and that this is dealt with properly and openly accountability. and that this is - dealt with properly and openly and we do _ dealt with properly and openly and we do get — dealt with properly and openly and we do get to— dealt with properly and openly and we do get to the _ dealt with properly and openly and we do get to the truth. _ dealt with properly and openly and we do get to the truth. so - dealt with properly and openly and we do get to the truth. so peoplel we do get to the truth. so people can get— we do get to the truth. so people can get on— we do get to the truth. so people can get on with _ we do get to the truth. so people can get on with their— we do get to the truth. so people can get on with their lives. - we do get to the truth. so people can get on with their lives. i - can get on with their lives. wanted to acknowledged can get on with their lives.“ wanted to acknowledged that can get on with their lives._ wanted to acknowledged that these victims have been deprived financially, socially, in all aspects of their lives. someone is responsible _ aspects of their lives. someone is responsible for _ aspects of their lives. someone is responsible for it _ aspects of their lives. someone is responsible for it and _ aspects of their lives. someone is responsible for it and they - aspects of their lives. someone is responsible for it and they should | responsible for it and they should be accountable for it and punished.

but are _ be accountable for it and punished. but are these people still alive? who knows? i but are these people still alive? who knows?— but are these people still alive? who knows? ., ., who knows? i want the truth. i want 'ustice. who knows? i want the truth. i want justice- and — who knows? i want the truth. i want justice- and i— who knows? i want the truth. i want justice. and i want _ who knows? i want the truth. i want justice. and i want my _ who knows? i want the truth. i want justice. and i want my life _ who knows? i want the truth. i want justice. and i want my life back. - who knows? i want the truth. i want justice. and i want my life back. i. justice. and i want my life back. i am never— justice. and i want my life back. i am never going— justice. and i want my life back. i am never going to _ justice. and i want my life back. i am never going to get _ justice. and i want my life back. i am never going to get my- justice. and i want my life back. i am never going to get my life - justice. and i want my life back. i. am never going to get my life back but i want — am never going to get my life back but i want to— am never going to get my life back but i want to enjoy _ am never going to get my life back but i want to enjoy what's - am never going to get my life back but i want to enjoy what's left - am never going to get my life back but i want to enjoy what's left of l but i want to enjoy what's left of my life — but i want to enjoy what's left of my life i— but i want to en'oy what's left of m life. ., . ., ., , , my life. i want the charitable trust set u- to my life. i want the charitable trust set no to sunport _ my life. i want the charitable trust set up to support us. _ my life. i want the charitable trust set up to support us. to _ my life. i want the charitable trust set up to support us. to be - my life. i want the charitable trust set up to support us. to be held i my life. i want the charitable trust| set up to support us. to be held to account. i want their staff and the trustees past and present to explain their actions. trustees past and present to explain theiractions. i trustees past and present to explain their actions-— their actions. i would like to see 'ustice their actions. i would like to see justice but _ their actions. i would like to see justice but i _ their actions. i would like to see justice but i have _ their actions. i would like to see justice but i have to _ their actions. i would like to see justice but i have to ask - their actions. i would like to see justice but i have to ask myselfl justice but i have to ask myself what _ justice but i have to ask myself whatjustice really is justice but i have to ask myself what justice really is even justice but i have to ask myself whatjustice really is even in my circumstances. i want to know that the department responsible and the individuals who are responsible will be held _ individuals who are responsible will be held responsible. | individuals who are responsible will be held responsible.— be held responsible. i want the truth, i want _ be held responsible. i want the truth, i wantjustice, _ be held responsible. i want the truth, iwantjustice, i- be held responsible. i want the truth, iwantjustice, iwant- be held responsible. i want the - truth, iwantjustice, iwant people truth, i wantjustice, i want people to truth, iwantjustice, i want people to know— truth, i wantjustice, i want people to know what — truth, i wantjustice, i want people to know what we _ truth, i wantjustice, i want people to know what we have _

truth, i wantjustice, i want people to know what we have been - truth, i wantjustice, i want people . to know what we have been through, notiust_ to know what we have been through, notjust historically— to know what we have been through, not just historically but _ to know what we have been through, not just historically but how - to know what we have been through, not just historically but how it's - notjust historically but how it's affected — notjust historically but how it's affected our— notjust historically but how it's affected our lives _ notjust historically but how it's affected our lives massively, i affected our lives massively, decisions _ affected our lives massively, decisions we _ affected our lives massively, decisions we have _ affected our lives massively, decisions we have made - affected our lives massively, decisions we have made and| affected our lives massively, - decisions we have made and the people _ decisions we have made and the people and _ decisions we have made and the people and personalities - decisions we have made and the people and personalities we - decisions we have made and thel people and personalities we have become — people and personalities we have become that— people and personalities we have become that have _ people and personalities we have become that have been - people and personalities we have become that have been taken - people and personalities we have l become that have been taken away by the ties and _ become that have been taken away by the ties and the — become that have been taken away by the lies and the treatment _ become that have been taken away by the lies and the treatment and - become that have been taken away by the lies and the treatment and the - the lies and the treatment and the scandal— the lies and the treatment and the scandal and — the lies and the treatment and the scandal and stigma _ the lies and the treatment and the scandal and stigma surrounding i the lies and the treatment and the . scandal and stigma surrounding hiv. i scandal and stigma surrounding hiv. i need _ scandal and stigma surrounding hiv. i need the _ scandal and stigma surrounding hiv. i need the politicians— scandal and stigma surrounding hiv. i need the politicians to _ scandal and stigma surrounding hiv. i need the politicians to remember. i need the politicians to remember this, i need the nhs to remember this, i need the nhs to remember this, that this tragedy, this horror that has gone on for all these years is still going on. please don't brush this aside. something needs to come out of this inquiry. truth and justice. irate come out of this inquiry. truth and 'ustice. ~ ., .,, justice. we need it. i want those --eole justice. we need it. i want those eo - le to justice. we need it. i want those people to admit _ justice. we need it. i want those people to admit their— justice. we need it. i want those people to admit their liability - justice. we need it. i want those people to admit their liability for all those — people to admit their liability for all those people that have been infected — all those people that have been infected and affected, those people that have _ infected and affected, those people that have died, so many people have died, _ that have died, so many people have died. it's— that have died, so many people have died, it's shocking and it's disgraceful. i need closure to try and move — disgraceful. i need closure to try and move on with the rest of my

life _ and move on with the rest of my life i_ and move on with the rest of my life ijust— and move on with the rest of my life. ijust hope i am still alive by the — life. ijust hope i am still alive by the time the inquiry finishes. this is what we know now. in the 19705, 19805 this is what we know now. in the 1970s, 1980s and into the 1990s, around 30,000 people receiving nhs treatment in towns and cities across the uk were given infected blood and blood products. 30,000 people. the blood products. 30,000 people. the blood and blood products were contaminated with viruses, especially hiv, hepatitis c and

hepatitis b. what was meant to treat people whether for haemophilia or in a routine blood transfusion became a death sentence. by 2019 almost 3000 people had died as a direct result of the viruses they were given in their treatment. and people are continuing to die. and they will continue to die over the weeks, months and years to come. because of the biggest treatment disaster in the biggest treatment disaster in the nhs. you will know the names of the nhs. you will know the names of the people that have died but we also remember today those who died and named and without knowing what

had happened to them. the people who are infected and are still with us, the injured living, experience the destructive consequences of what happened every day, every hour, every minute of their lives. they lives were changed forever. their families were also changed forever. parents and children, partners and siblings, were with them as their loved ones became seriously ill. the experienced stigma and cruelty from neighbours, they became full—time carers and far too many have been

left grieving. this disaster started with haemophiliacs, mostly men, many of whom were still schoolboys or even younger, and women and girls. factor eight seemed like a miracle, stopping bleeds quickly and even preventing them. but factor eight pulled the plasma from thousands of blood donations and if one donor was infected with the virus the entire batch would be contaminated. in the us the blood was taken from people paid to donate, prisoners, drug addicts and others on the edges of society. british blood products were infected too. and the consequences were horrific. we now know that

around 5000 people with bleeding disorders were infected with hepatitis c and the uk and around a quarter of that number, 1250 people, were infected with hiv. 380 were children. because people were not told about their infection until it was too late, young women, newly married and in love, were infected with hiv by their husbands. full of hope and with dreams of the future and of family, they had no idea that their lives would be so cruelly and utterly destroyed as well as the lives of their unborn children. doctors knew the risks and new they

were safer treatments, but far too many did not tell them. patients did not tell their parents about those risks. remember, 30,000 people were infected. around 27,000 of these were infected through blood transfusions received in hospital, whether having a baby, after a car accident, during a routine operation or getting dental treatment. and we now know that almost 100 people contracted hiv through these blood transfusions. most of them struggled in the years after the transfusion to get a clear answer about why they were feeling so ill and utterly exhausted. when they were told they had been infected with hepatitis c, ten, 20 or even 30 years later, the damage had already been done. the

consequences of this disaster run through every single aspect of life and the lives of family, friends and communities. for thousands of innocent people, this has taken away their dreams, their hopes, their dignity, theirfreedom, their dignity, their freedom, their livelihoods, dignity, theirfreedom, their livelihoods, theirfinancial stability, their sanity, their potential and even the homes and managers. it is creeping, it is insidious, it is impossibly cruel. people have lived with the stigma of hiv and hepatitis c for decades, feeling they had to live in silence and terrified in case neighbours found out, especially in the dark days of the 1980s. homes daubed in graffiti, children bullied in school, parents losing theirjobs

and children put into care without knowing why. and many still live in silence. they have never told their families what happened to them so they have lived with the burden of they have lived with the burden of the infections and the burden of keeping a secret for decades. but the pain does not stop there. coming home with a very serious illness after going to the nhs for treatment was bad enough, but what made things so much worse was when governments through the decades maintained nothing was done wrong and this was the best possible treatment. too ill to work and unable to provide for theirfamilies, they had to to work and unable to provide for their families, they had to battle just to live life with a little dignity. governments have resisted every step of the way. no wonder

people have lost their trust. applause doctors and health officials knew the risks of blood products. but doctors kept on using them and governments kept on licensing them. they knew that the safest transfusion was no transfusion but kept on topping up women who had just had a baby or giving £2 when one was more than enough. they knew the risks but didn't tell their patients and parents of patients and even used children in their research. and it could have been so

different. if the existing safe alternatives had been used. if blood products had been heat treated sooner. if the uk had invested in producing enough of its own blood products. if the uk had not been one of the last developed nations to test all blood donations for hepatitis c. if people had been informed and allowed to make their own decisions about the risks. if people had been told the truth. how many more lives would have been saved? how many more people would have been able to live the lives

they had dreamt of? without illness, without scouring documents searching for the truth, without writing letters to every single prime minister since margaret thatcher, without the sense that somehow for some unknown reason what had happened to them just doesn't count.

i had dreams of getting married and having _ i had dreams of getting married and having a _ i had dreams of getting married and having a family. reaching retirement. but once that news came through. _ retirement. but once that news came through. att— retirement. but once that news came through, all of those dreams were gone _ through, all of those dreams were done we— through, all of those dreams were one. ~ . , through, all of those dreams were one. ~ ., , ., through, all of those dreams were one. ~ . , ., ., ., gone. we are 'ust going to leave that gone. we are just going to leave that memorial _ gone. we are just going to leave that memorial service _ gone. we are just going to leave that memorial service but - gone. we are just going to leave that memorial service but of- gone. we are just going to leave i that memorial service but of course more moving and powerful testimony outlining the scale and the extent of the scandal which has touched so many lives and as we heard earlier from the inquiry chair sir brian langstaff continues to touch people's lives. people are still suffering and it's people's lives. people are still suffering and its estimated that every three to four days somebody

dies as a result of this infected blood scandal. it is the worst treatment scandal in the history of the nhs. today at the westminster central methodist hall behind me that report was finally published and then a short while ago we heard from the author, sir brian langstaff, the chair of the inquiry. he spoke in a very passionate and powerful way and he received a standing ovation as he wrapped up. let's have a listen to what he had to say. let's have a listen to what he had to sa . ,, ., let's have a listen to what he had tosa. ,, to say. the nhs and successive governments — to say. the nhs and successive governments compounded - to say. the nhs and successive governments compounded the | to say. the nhs and successive - governments compounded the agony by refusing to accept that ron had been done. more than that, the government repeatedly maintained that people received the best available treatment and that testing of blood donations began as soon as the technology was available and both

claims were not true. tragically, the infections happened because those in authority, doctors, the blood services and successive governments, did not put patient safety first. they lost sight of what was known about the risks of viral infections from blood. doctor knows best was such a strong belief that health departments did not issue guidance to curb the unsafe use of blood and blood products. decision—making on measures that could make blood products are safe it was put off and then dragged out unnecessarily and failed to reach clear and decisive conclusions. and patients were simply not given the information they needed to make fully informed decisions about their own treatments. he

fully informed decisions about their own treatments.— fully informed decisions about their own treatments. he then moved on to the question — own treatments. he then moved on to the question of— own treatments. he then moved on to the question of what _ own treatments. he then moved on to the question of what the _ own treatments. he then moved on to the question of what the government | the question of what the government should do now, what can be learnt from his report.— should do now, what can be learnt from his report. apart from lessons which should _ from his report. apart from lessons which should be _ from his report. apart from lessons which should be learned, _ from his report. apart from lessons which should be learned, what - from his report. apart from lessons which should be learned, what else j which should be learned, what else should happen next? ifully expect the government to make an apology. applause. to be meaningful though, that apology must explain what the apologies for. —— what the apology is for. it should recognise and acknowledge notjust the suffering but the fact that the suffering was the result of errors, wrongs done

and delays incurred. it should provide vindication to those who have waited for that for so long. and it should be accompanied by action. applause. action obviously to recognise and remember what happened to so many people and to learn from the inquiry. action to implement recommendations i made over a year ago. to set up a proper compensation

scheme. you could see that ovation i was describing. what we heard from the chair of the inquiry was a rousing, very direct look back at what he found, i look back at the history of what went wrong and he has been very clear that many things went wrong in the nhs and with the government that led to the situation where thousands were infected, thousands died and many more are living with the effects and after—effects of what he said were failures. joining me now is my colleague ali price. we've heard from sir brian langstaff and one of the things he talks about is he wants the government to come back in a year and he wants to hold

people to account and he has a set of recommendations. tell us more about what he said. that of recommendations. tell us more about what he said.— about what he said. that is in his ower to about what he said. that is in his power to do _ about what he said. that is in his power to do so — about what he said. that is in his power to do so but _ about what he said. that is in his power to do so but as _ about what he said. that is in his power to do so but as you - about what he said. that is in his power to do so but as you said i power to do so but as you said before it is not something we normally hear from an inquiry. something similar was done for the manchester bombing inquiry. so it's unusual. it is important because as he talked about the problem is for so many of these families and victims there is this feeling of a lack of accountability and the fact they had not been listened to for all these years. so i suppose it makes sense, you write a report, you have an inquiry and you want to make sure you hold feet to the fire for the government to make sure things are done. 0therwise what's the point? you could have your recommendations but if they are not adhered to that is the argument of the victims, unless something changes and lessons are learned what is the point of all of this? to pick

a few examples, he said gps should ask newly registered hepatitis patients whether they had ever had a blood transfusion because obviously as we've heard so often in this inquiry the problem with this issue of people who caught hepatitis through blood transfusions that way is that so many have gone through the last decade not presenting with it. it's a virus that doesn't necessarily shove many years. so they could be a huge number of other victims who don't even know about it yet. that is what our colleague said in a recent report, the said the scale was much bigger. yes because there are still undiagnosed people. they could be people who would be entitled to compensation as well. he talked about how the civil service needs to change its defensive behaviour. needs to change its defensive behaviour-— needs to change its defensive behaviour. ., ., behaviour. that was quite a powerful thin , the behaviour. that was quite a powerful thing. the way _ behaviour. that was quite a powerful thing. the way he — behaviour. that was quite a powerful thing, the way he talked _ behaviour. that was quite a powerful thing, the way he talked about - thing, the way he talked about government and said things needed to

change it all came from a very powerful conclusion that report that he said in the past was accusing civil servants in whitehall of destroying documents that might have been relevant in terms of uncovering what happened. that is a serious allegation. what happened. that is a serious alleuation. ~ ,,., , ., allegation. absolutely. therefore they couldn't _ allegation. absolutely. therefore they couldn't look _ allegation. absolutely. therefore they couldn't look at _ allegation. absolutely. therefore they couldn't look at those - they couldn't look at those documents in the inquiry. add to that the fact that this took so long to happen. he said imagine if this inquiry had happened 30 years ago on the difference it would have made and the compensation victims could have had. and of course the really awful point which is many people have died in the last two decades. 650 people have died since the start of this inquiry five years ago but multiply that back through the years and he said that hasn't had an impact on his ability to get to the truth because people have died along the way and also we've had people become more debilitated with their

illnesses as well as the other people involved like the doctors and politicians in various civil servants who may have become older or died not been able to give evidence. he or died not been able to give evidence-— or died not been able to give evidence. ., . ., ., ., evidence. he touched on that on the end when he — evidence. he touched on that on the end when he referenced _ evidence. he touched on that on the end when he referenced somebody i evidence. he touched on that on the i end when he referenced somebody who gave testimony to the inquiry but then on it his wife was in the room. a gentleman who gave evidence on the first day of the inquiry and he died exactly five weeks ago. we've heard this figure of one person with a blood infected disease or summary affected by this blood scandal dies every four days just to give you a sense of the urgency of why these recommendations need to be put into practice and why the apology needs to be made. we are expecting that apology very shortly from over the way in the commons, we are expecting rishi sunak to deliver that apology.

let's talk about that apology, what we heard from sir brian langstaff said an apology would have to be meaningful. he said the apology would have to be explained, that is the point, nobody here that we have spoken to, nobody who has spoken about their hurt and the anger and the loss just once in apology without a change, without meaning. no, i think that is the point. he said the apology must be explained what it is for. these people don't want warm words, they have had enough of being fobbed off over the years and that i think is his point. i think it is really interesting in that statement that sir brian gave to the whole in there, to the assembled witnesses, the assembled victims and their families, assembled witnesses, the assembled victims and theirfamilies, and assembled witnesses, the assembled victims and their families, and the sport but seemed to be felt in the room, you mentioned the standing ovation and cheers, i'm not sure we have heard that before in a public inquiry before. i think there is a sense that he really wants to feel like he's on their side and is what they want and that is what victims,

families have told him over the years that they want because