Were infected with hiv or hepatitis c after being given contaminated blood between the early 19705 and early 19905. 3,000 people have already died, while others are still living with the ongoing impacts of infection. biv 0ur Correspondent 0ur correspondent, Rajini Vaidyanathan has been following the story and joins us live from the Methodist Central Hall in westminster, where the Report Findings were released. The conclusions of this report are devastating in so many different areas. ,. ,. , areas. They really are. One of the overriding areas. They really are. One of the overriding feeling areas. They really are. One of the overriding feeling is areas. They really are. One of the overriding feeling is has areas. They really are. One of the overriding feeling is has been areas. They really are. One of the overriding feeling is has been a i overriding feeling is has been a sense of vindication. People here who have said for years they have tried to raise concerns and raised the alarm about what was happening. About the fact that so many people were still being treated using this product that had infected blood or were receiving Blood Transfusions were receiving Blood Transfusions were contracting hiv and hepatitis c but still these treatments continued and they felt ignored until today. And anyway what we heard in this report and when we saw sir Brian Langstaff on stage was to many families comforting and we saw sir Brian Langstaff get a rousing standing ovation. Its not what you normally see a Public Inquiry is. It was a real sense of empathy that he understood but also a sense that he promised to take action. He said he was going to hold the government to account. He said that if there was an apology from the Prime Minister that it would have to have meaning. It couldnt be hollow. He also called wholesale changes in the Civil Service and indeed in the way that people are treated in the nhs and the way patients are seen. He also called for people to go to their gp and raised the alarm if they have ever had a bread blood transfusion. So it really was a day of emotion and a day of reckoning as well. Lets begin with this report from sophie hutchison. Some of the tens of thousands of people infected with hiv and hepatitis c in the 19705, � 805 and early � 905 by contaminated blood. Today, the final report into the scandal described the scale of what happened as horrifying and said lives, dreams, friendships, families and finances were destroyed by it. Well, i think the scale speaks for itself. If you have over 30,000 People Who Go Into Hospital and come out with infections which were life shattering, that in itself is huge, and the suffering for them and for others is huge. The inquiry has spent four years taking evidence from more than 5,000 witnesses and examined 100,000 documents. Its concluded this was a disaster not an accident, that those in authority, doctors, Blood Services and governments did not put Patient Safety first and that patients were knowingly exposed to unacceptable risks of infection. Andy evans has haemophilia, a bleeding disorder. He is one of 30,000 people infected by the treatment he received. By the time he was five years old he had hiv and hepatitis c, and at 13 he had developed full blown aids. My mum took me out for a drive one day in the countryside when i was 13. She pulled up, i thought this was really weird, but then she turned to me with tears in her eyes and she said, ive got something to tell you. Do you know what hiv is . Andy has run a Campaign Group for victims for almost 20 years, and today he gave his reaction to the report. As amazing as this report is, i just cant help feeling that there are so many that we have lost along the way that really ought to be here to see this as well. The report says children were betrayed by being used in medical trials without their knowledge or informed consent. It says patients were not informed of the risks of their treatment, including the risks posed by Blood Transfusions. This was nurse Cathy Osborne 25 years ago with her husband neil cox, a young doctor. Neil had explained before they were married that hed been infected with Hepatitis C Following a blood transfusion. He died just two years into their marriage. Cathy came to the inquiry today. She said you can carry grief forever. People are still dying now, it was wrong. I want an apology, i think, for what happened, recognition of what happened. And not just an apology for apologys sake, an apology that takes into consideration all that weve been through, myself, neils family, his friends, his mother, at 92, has missed out a whole 22 years without her son. And its about time someone stood up and was accountable for that. The report says the damage caused by the contaminated blood was compounded by the reaction of the nhs and the medical profession and by successive governments who used inaccurate, misleading and defensive lines, telling people they had received the best treatment. This is a day of unparalleled importance for these families. This report shines an unflinching light on the catalogue of failings that they have faced. An apology is expected later today from government, but this is notjust a look back at the past. The inquiry says that apology must be accompanied by action. Last night, people infected and families held a vigil in westminster. Todays report has urged the government to bring in full compensation for them without further delay. A statement from ministers is expected in the coming days. Sophie hutchinson, bbc news. A statement from the Prime Minister is expected in the coming hours. Rishi sunak is expected to apologise on behalf of the government. Of course this goes beyond Party Politics because this scandal has happened across a number of different administrations and different administrations and different governments. To discuss this in more detail i am joined by the lawyer, des collins will represent thousands of people affected by this. Thank you for joining us. It has been quite an emotional day, first of all to see so many people who have been personally impacted going to read that report and see them share when they saw the findings, its a day of relief. Is that how you feel . Clearly i do feel it is a day of reiief clearly i do feel it is a day of relief but clearly i do feel it is a day of relief but i cant imagine that can be compared with how the victims feei~ be compared with how the victims feei~ i be compared with how the victims feei~ i have be compared with how the victims feel. I have been involved in the scandal feel. I have been involved in the scandal for feel. I have been involved in the scandal for seven or eight years. I am a scandal for seven or eight years. I am a professional. They have been involved am a professional. They have been involved in am a professional. They have been involved in it as mothers and fathers involved in it as mothers and fathers and sons and daughters for 40 or fathers and sons and daughters for 40 or 50 fathers and sons and daughters for 40 or 50 years. They are people like you and 40 or 50 years. They are people like you and i 40 or 50 years. They are people like you and i are 40 or 50 years. They are people like you and i are going about our ordinary you and i are going about our ordinary lives and to be faced with this dominating yourself the 40 or 50 years this dominating yourself the 40 or 50 years is this dominating yourself the 40 or 50 years is unthinkable. I can understand why they cheered sue bryant understand why they cheered sue bryant when he made a speech today. What was bryant when he made a speech today. What was so bryant when he made a speech today. What was so remarkable about that moment in the room where everyone was cheering and the people i have spoken to today say its a sense of vindication. They felt they were not heard for years and years. The victims always heard for years and years. The victims always felt heard for years and years. The victims always felt they havent been victims always felt they havent been heard and a lot of the victims have been heard and a lot of the victims have ireen been heard and a lot of the victims have been trying to push this forward have been trying to push this forward since the 1980s and through into this forward since the 1980s and through into this century and no one ever tistens into this century and no one ever listens to into this century and no one ever listens to them. Very occasionally there listens to them. Very occasionally there might be full storm and nobody had listened. It was only when theresa had listened. It was only when theresa may announced this inquiry in 2017 theresa may announced this inquiry in 2017 that theresa may announced this inquiry in 2017 that things had become more clear and in 2017 that things had become more clear and at in 2017 that things had become more clear and at that point about a year later we clear and at that point about a year later we had the appointment of sir brian later we had the appointment of sir Brian Langstaff as chair of the inquiry Brian Langstaff as chair of the inquiry. It Brian Langstaff as chair of the inquiry. It has all taken a long time inquiry. It has all taken a long time and inquiry. It has all taken a long time and always with the belief that this may time and always with the belief that this may be another false dawn, we may not this may be another false dawn, we may not get it over the line because we have may not get it over the line because we have not may not get it over the line because we have not got it over the line before we have not got it over the line before. And even talking to a number of victims before. And even talking to a number of victims over the weekend they coutdnt of victims over the weekend they couldnt really believe that today would couldnt really believe that today would happen. It had not happened before would happen. It had not happened before. They really had to see it with their before. They really had to see it with their own eyes and it was only then when with their own eyes and it was only then when sir Brian Langstaff stood on the then when sir Brian Langstaff stood on the podium and said what he had to say on the podium and said what he had to say that on the podium and said what he had to say that they believed they had finally to say that they believed they had finally got it over the line. Sir brian finally got it over the line. 5 Brian Langstaff said finally got it over the line. 5} Brian Langstaff said his finally got it over the line. 5 Brian Langstaff said his work is not finished. He wants the government now to report back in a year. He is talking about committees to look at some of this and about wholesale reform of the Civil Service. For some of this and about wholesale reform of the Civil Service. Reform of the Civil Service. For a number of reform of the Civil Service. For a number of reasons reform of the Civil Service. For a number of reasons that reform of the Civil Service. For a number of reasons that has reform of the Civil Service. For a number of reasons that has to l reform of the Civil Service. For a l number of reasons that has to be done number of reasons that has to be done and number of reasons that has to be done and primarily the reason sir brian done and primarily the reason sir Brian Langstaff has taken that approach is because he made an interim approach is because he made an interim recommendation this time last year~ interim recommendation this time last year. The government did nothing last year. The government did nothing about it. He dragged rishi sunak nothing about it. He dragged rishi sunak back before the inquiry in july last sunak back before the inquiry in july last year and said what are you doing . July last year and said what are you doing . Stillthere july last year and said what are you doing . Still there was nothing done. Ithink doing . Still there was nothing done. I think that doing . Still there was nothing done. I think that gave him concern that if he i think that gave him concern that if he closed the inquiry now as he would if he closed the inquiry now as he would have if he closed the inquiry now as he would have been expected to come out that that would have been expected to come out that that will find Everything Else was falling on deaf ears and Nothing Happened was falling on deaf ears and Nothing Happened. So quite sensibly he has been determined to carry on with this inquiry been determined to carry on with this inquiry until such time as he can see this inquiry until such time as he can see the this inquiry until such time as he can see the recommendations are carried can see the recommendations are carried out can see the recommendations are carried out and reforms are put right carried out and reforms are put riuht. � ,. , carried out and reforms are put riuht. � ,. , carried out and reforms are put rirht, � ,. ,. ,. , carried out and reforms are put riuht. � ,. ,. , right. Briefly, as a lawyer, do you think any of right. Briefly, as a lawyer, do you think any of the right. Briefly, as a lawyer, do you think any of the families right. Briefly, as a lawyer, do you think any of the families have right. Briefly, as a lawyer, do you think any of the families have anyj think any of the families have any legal grounds now to take any cases forward . ,. , legal grounds now to take any cases forward . ,. ,. , forward . They have a number of rounds forward . They have a number of grounds to forward . They have a number of grounds to take forward . They have a number of grounds to take cases forward . They have a number of grounds to take cases forward. I forward . They have a number of grounds to take cases forward. They are already grounds to take cases forward. They are already largely involved in a group are already largely involved in a group action which was put on ice back group action which was put on ice back in group action which was put on ice back in 2017 when the inquiry was announced back in 2017 when the inquiry was announced. Putting it bluntly, if the Compensation Framework is not put in the Compensation Framework is not put in place quickly and properly and effectively they will have no doubt and effectively they will have no doubt in and effectively they will have no doubt in their own mind that they will drag doubt in their own mind that they will drag that case back and secure damages will drag that case back and secure damages from the government on that basis damages from the government on that basis. , ~ ,. , damages from the government on that basis. , ~ ,. ,. Damages from the government on that basis. ~ ,. ,. , basis. Thank you very much for oininu basis. Thank you very much for joining us basis. Thank you very much for joining us. The basis. Thank you very much for joining us. The subject basis. Thank you very much for joining us. The subject of joining us. The subject of compensation has been widely discussed because as we heard there there was an interim recommendation last year from there was an interim recommendation last yearfrom sir there was an interim recommendation last year from sir Brian Langstaff for compensation to be paid and Rishi Sunak In Return before the inquiry said he was waiting for the final report before he made any further payments out before his government made any further payments. That caused a lot of frustration amongst some of the families here. Many say money wont bring the relatives back but it can say make a difference and it would be a strong signal that the wrong that happened over decades could be in some way righted. I think that is all about what today has been about, about the search for truth, justice and accountability. Lam iamjoined i am joined now by dena peacock was a survivor the scandal. Teii i am joined now by dena peacock was a survivor the scandal. A survivor the scandal. Tell us your reaction to a survivor the scandal. Tell us your reaction to the a survivor the scandal. Tell us your reaction to the report. A survivor the scandal. Tell us your reaction to the report. I a survivor the scandal. Tell us your reaction to the report. I think a survivor the scandal. Tell us your reaction to the report. I think sir. Reaction to the report. I think sir Brian Langstaff reaction to the report. I think sir Brian Langstaff did reaction to the report. I think sir Brian Langstaff did us reaction to the report. I think sir Brian Langstaff did us proud. Reaction to the report. I think sir Brian Langstaff did us proud. He| reaction to the report. I think sir Brian Langstaff did us proud. He has totally Brian Langstaff did us proud. He has totally researched it fully and basically he has confirmed what we have been basically he has confirmed what we have been saying for all these years have been saying for all these years. Hopefully it will