Mrs Liz Carroll was the final witness of the week to provide oral evidence to the Inquiry. Mrs Carroll was Chief Executive of the Haemophilia Society from January 2014 until April 2020.
Mrs Carroll discussed one main topic put to her by Jenni Richards QC over the course of her evidence:
- Ms Richards questioned Ms Carroll on her recollection of events relating to the issue that occurred between herself and Jan Barlow and Roger Evans and how this led to legal proceeding. The legal proceedings were based on a comment that Ms Carroll accused Ms Barlow of saying during a meeting between the three where Ms Carroll stated that Ms Barlow said “the Department of Health should wait as long as possible before making any decisions as more people would have died and there would be less people to pay.”
- The meeting in question took place on 29th January 2015 and Ms Carroll remembered that there was a discussion about the recent APPG Report, nominations by the Haemophilia Society for a new MFT Trustee and the forthcoming Penrose report.
- Mrs Carroll spoke of her belief that her recollection of events and what was said was correct and spoke to the Trustees at the next Trustee meeting which was a few days later. Ms Carroll had the full backing of the Trustee Board and the Chair, Bernard Manson, to write to Jane Ellison and advise what had been sent and also publish this on the Haemophilia Society website.
- Ms Richards questioned Mrs Carroll as to why the Haemophilia Society retracted what they had sent in the letter and issued an apology and Mrs Carroll said that this was because the Society were advised that it was Mrs Carroll’s one word against the word of Ms Barlow and Mr Evans. She also spoke of how The Haemophilia Society could not afford to use the funds they did have on litigation and this is the reason why they retracted their allegations.
For a full transcript of Liz Carroll’s evidence please visit https://www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/evidence where you can read the transcript or watch the evidence via YouTube video.