Frequently Asked Questions

As of 1 January 2026, a full “firebreak” is in place on discretionary spend. Colleagues will not be able to order discretionary items via NHS Supply Chain or NEP/Oracle unless approved in exception.

This is in addition to recent controls and updated requisition processes already in place.

We are required to deliver our financial plan for this year, which means living within our means and not spending more money than we are allocated – ensuring that resources are used wisely and directed towards providing sustainable services for our patients.

These strengthened controls support our in-year financial recovery plan and our wider journey to financial balance.

We recognise that it is a challenging environment to operate in, but this approach will support how we can move to a more balanced position in future years and is consistent with other providers across Cheshire and Merseyside.

Why discretionary spend?

NHS discretionary spend refers to non-pay expenditure not directly essential for patient care, which can amount to over £20m a year. 

To support in making efficiencies, we kindly ask staff to think carefully before ordering any items, considering if there is a cheaper alternative, or if it is needed at all. Together, our combined impact of ordering less across the whole organisation can be significant and support our goal of achieving financial sustainability.

Discretionary spend includes, but is not limited to:

• Books, journals and subscriptions
• Computer hardware purchases
• Computer software / licence fees
• Stationery
• Office equipment and materials (purchase, hire or repairs)
• Furniture and fittings
• Course fees, conferences and seminars
• Training expenses
• Travel costs, taxi and vehicle hire, other transport costs (including Click Travel)
• Postage and carriage
• Advertising and staff recruitment
• Provisions
• Miscellaneous expenditure

This does not apply to free tea and coffee provided as part of the reward and recognition scheme.

No. From 1 January 2026, discretionary items cannot be ordered or approved through these systems unless an exception has been approved and a unique reference number has been issued following approval of a Case of Need form.

This includes travel bookings via Click Travel, which must not be approved without an approved Case of Need reference number.

You must complete and submit the Case of Need form first and wait for approval before raising a requisition or travel booking.

If your request is approved, you will receive a unique reference number, which must then be added to your requisition or booking.

Requisitions or bookings submitted without an approved Case of Need reference number will not be processed or should not be approved.

For Click Travel Requests, add your request to Click first, obtain a price and select your approver before submitting the request. Use this information to complete and submit your Case of Need. Once the Case of Need has been reviewed by the panel, and you have been notified you can then inform your approver to either approve or reject the request.

For training, print, and other discretionary spend, you must complete the Case of Need first. Ensure all questions are fully answered and that the price of the request is included. Submit the Case of Need and wait for the panel outcome before raising or submitting a requisition on the system.

Step 1 – Complete the required documentation

• Complete a fully completed Case of Need form via Microsoft Forms. Please note Word or email submissions will not be accepted.
• All questions for the category you are submitting under must be answered. Incomplete forms will be rejected and must be resubmitted before review.

Step 2 – Obtain site/service approval

• Your request must be approved by your line manager and relevant budget holder.
• When completing the form, you must select the site where the budget sits and where the discretionary spend will be charged from, not necessarily the site where the goods or services will be used.
• This must align with the correct budget holder and cost centre. Incorrect site selection may delay review or result in rejection.

Step 3 – Submit to the panel

• Once submitted, your request will be sent to the appropriate panel for review (see panel schedule below).

• Incomplete or insufficiently justified requests will be rejected and must be resubmitted.

Step 4 – Await panel outcome

• Outcomes will be communicated to the requester via the Procurement team by email.
• If approved, you will receive a unique reference number which must be added to your requisition or travel booking. Only requests with a valid reference number will be processed.

No. All questions relevant to the category you are submitting the Case of Need for must be fully completed.

Incomplete forms will not be reviewed by the panel and will be rejected and returned for resubmission.

No. You only need to complete one Case of Need form per supplier, provided that:

• all items are listed on the form, and;
• the total combined cost is clearly stated and justified.

Do not submit separate forms for each item from the same supplier.

No. A Case of Need (CON) is only required for Trust funded training.

• Trust Funded Training:
  A CON is required, and the requisition must use the central budget code.
• Externally Funded Training:
  A CON is not required, provided the requisition reflects the correct externally funded budget code.
• Clinical CPD and NMP Training:
  A CON is not required, provided the requisition reflects the relevant protected budget codes.

All Cases of Need must be submitted via the Microsoft Form by 5pm on a Thursday to be considered at the following week’s Discretionary Spend Panel.

Submissions received after this deadline will be held over and reviewed at a later panel. To avoid delays, please ensure all required information is complete and accurate before submission.

You will receive an email from the Procurement team confirming whether your request has been approved or rejected.

If approved, the email will include your unique reference number. This reference number cannot be used for any other requisition.

If rejected, the reason for rejection will be provided.

Downloaded Case of Need requests (from Microsoft Forms) are issued to panels on Fridays.

Panel reviews take place as follows:

• DTC, Estates and Aintree: reviewed on Mondays
• Royal and Broadgreen: reviewed on Wednesdays
• Corporate areas (other than Estates): reviewed ad hoc, as and when requests are received.

Requests are reviewed in line with these schedules, so please allow sufficient time when planning essential purchases.

If a request is rejected, the reason for rejection will be provided.

If appropriate, the request can be revised and resubmitted with further justification.

If you feel that any of these decisions or controls are having a direct impact on safety or aren’t in the best interest of our patients – we need to know about it.

Please escalate any concerns you have to your manager, or if you feel unable to, our Freedom to Speak Up Champions or Guardians at each of our sites.

We take concerns seriously, and our priority will always be the safety of the communities we care for.

For urgent requests (e.g. to protect patient safety, maintain service continuity or avoid cancelling clinics), approval may be given outside of panel by:

• the relevant Director of Finance for the site,
• a Corporate Director, or
• a nominated deputy.

These approvals will be reported retrospectively.

The individual must be referred to Occupational Health before any equipment is considered. DSE recommendations cannot be treated as OH recommendations. 

No. Rising desks should not be approved because they do not align with Occupational Health or DSE policy. 

A supporting report must be provided and reviewed in line with GDPR requirements.

If OH recommends a chair and the panel grants approval, the standard approved model must be ordered through Jenkinsons.

CT640‑IL‑SL‑AF Opus Tulip Back Standard Operator Chair, including:

• Inflatable lumbar support
• Seat slide
• Synchro mechanism
• Height‑adjustable, foldaway arms
• Xtreme Costa fabric or Just Colour Vinyl 1

Current price: £182.25

To request IT hardware, please follow the steps below:

1. Log a job with IT via the Helpdesk.
   Submit your initial request to the IT Helpdesk so the IT team can review your requirements.
2. IT will assess your request.
   If the hardware you need falls under discretionary spend controls, IT will direct you to complete a Case of Need (CON).
3. Complete and submit the Case of Need.
   Once completed, your CON will be reviewed at the following week’s Discretionary Spend Panel.
4. If approved:
   After receiving confirmation that your CON has been approved, log a new job with IT including the approved CON number.
5. IT will process your order.
   IT will place the order on your behalf once they have your approved CON details.

Materials management top-up sheets have been amended in line with the new requirements.

Teams are asked to use existing stock of discretionary items first before submitting a Case of Need.

If you have approval and need an item that is currently masked on the system, contact the Procurement team.

They will temporarily unmask the item so that you can place the order and will then re-mask the item once the order is complete.

Please do not attempt to bypass system controls.

No. Please do not approve Click Travel requests unless the requester has completed a Case of Need and it has been formally approved by the HLT or relevant corporate panel.

Only requests with an approved Case of Need and a valid reference number should be progressed.

Approving travel without this approval bypasses the discretionary spend controls and may result in the booking being cancelled or charged back to the service.

For support with the process or queries about discretionary spend controls, contact: Procurement.Helpdesk@liverpoolft.nhs.uk