Deleted Invoices

The Deleted Invoices audit screen (/admin/deleted-invoices) preserves a read-only history of invoices that were removed from active billing. This supports financial controls, dispute resolution, and compliance without allowing silent data loss.

Permission module: deleted_invoices (view only — no create, edit, or delete)

Why deleted invoices exist

EaseLab separates cancellation from deletion:

Action	Patient-visible	Audit trail
Cancel invoice	May show as cancelled	Active invoice record with status
Delete invoice	Removed from active lists	Copied to deleted invoices log

Deletion requires elevated permission (invoices.delete or legacy invoices.delete).

flowchart LR
    INV[Active invoice] --> DEL[Delete action]
    DEL --> AUD[Deleted invoices log]
    DEL --> REM[Removed from operational lists]
    AUD --> RPT[Audit / investigation]

Deletion is destructive

Deleted invoices cannot be restored from this screen. Recovery requires database restore to a point before deletion.

Audit record contents

Each deleted invoice entry typically includes:

Field	Purpose
Original invoice number	Cross-reference
Patient name & ID	Identity context
Invoice date & amount	Financial magnitude
Tests / line summary	Clinical context
Referral doctor	Commission impact
Deleted at timestamp	When action occurred
Deleted by user	Staff accountability
Deletion reason	Optional note from operator

Who can delete invoices

Grant deletion sparingly:

Role	Recommendation
Lab owner	invoices.delete
Senior reception supervisor	Case-by-case
Bench staff	Deny
External accountant	deleted_invoices.view only

Combine with Quick Access review — quick.cancel_invoice is separate from hard delete.

Viewing the audit log

1. Navigate to Admin → Deleted Invoices.
2. Filter by date range, user, or patient.
3. Open detail row for line items and metadata.
4. Export if your deployment supports CSV (see Export & Filters).

No edit or purge actions are available — the log is append-only from normal UI flows.

Operational policies

Recommended lab policy:

flowchart TD
    A[Delete request] --> B{Supervisor approval?}
    B -->|No| C[Use cancel instead]
    B -->|Yes| D[Document reason]
    D --> E[Perform delete]
    E --> F[Monthly audit review]

Policy element	Guidance
Approval	Second person for invoices over threshold
Reason codes	Duplicate entry, wrong patient, test abort
Prefer cancel	Maintains patient billing history
Monthly review	Finance scans deleted invoices report

Reporting interactions

Report	Impact
Cash flow	Deleted invoices removed from active totals
Financial summary	Historical restatement may be needed after deletion
Patient due	Balances recalculated on delete
Referral summary	Commission may reverse depending on timing

Investigate before accusing

Staff may delete duplicate registrations during training. Check deleted by and date before escalation.

Read-only mode

When the lab is in read-only mode, deletion is blocked along with other mutations. The audit log remains viewable.

Compliance notes

Requirement	How EaseLab helps
Accountability	User ID on each deletion
Non-repudiation	Immutable audit list
Recovery	Point-in-time backup restore
Segregation of duties	View without delete permissions

For legal hold scenarios, export audit entries before retention-driven backup expiry.

Related documentation

• Roles & Permissions — Billing group
• Tenant Portal: Invoices
• Ledgers
• Financial Reports