Doing business with us

Invoicing and payment procedures

Invoicing procedures and payment


Information and advice for suppliers

What happens to my invoice when it reaches the trust? When will I be paid?

To ensure an efficient service, the trust has invoice guidelines that we ask that you follow when preparing your invoice for submission. Please see the section on good invoicing practice below.

Paper invoices
When received by the trust, invoices are scanned electronically and entered into our purchase ledger system.


They are then processed by the accounts payable team, where a purchase order number is quoted and this matches the receipt and invoice the invoice is automatically matched and paid. If the invoice fails the three-way match, accounts payable will contact the purchaser from the trust who raised the requisition and ask them to electronically authorise payment of the invoice. Only when this authorisation is received by account payables can payment be made to the supplier.
If the invoice does not quote a valid purchase order number then the invoice will be subject to delay. Accounts payable will contact the purchaser from the trust and ask them to electronically authorise payment of the invoice. Only when this authorisation is received by accounts payable can payment be made to the supplier.


Good invoicing practice
Accounts payable aims to provide a first class service to its clients within the trust and suppliers to the trust. To achieve this, there are specific guidelines for invoices – failure to follow these guidelines could result in a delay in processing an invoice.

Invoices must:

• Quote the clear and full accounts payable address of the trust. (See section titled ‘where to send invoices' for the full address)

• Provide clear details of the organisation submitting the invoice and the address to which the remittance should be sent.

• Provide clear details of the goods/services provided.

• Quote the trust's purchase order (PO) number - all requests for goods and services must be accompanied by a PO. Invoices received without the PO number will be returned.

• Be legible.

• Have a valid invoice date (tax point date).

• Clearly state the payee.

• Have the correct VAT calculations (handwritten invoices in particular).

• Have the relevant supporting information attached, for example timesheets


Invoices that do not comply with the above will be returned to you for correction/clarification.

Where to send invoices
United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Accounts Payable,
Lincoln County Hospital
Greetwell Road
Lincoln
LN2 5QY