The region's mental health trust has appointed its new finance director and deputy chief executive.

Julie Cave, who will hold both positions, will start working at Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) from December 1, chief executive Michael Scott announced today.

He informed directors of the trust and the public of the appointment at a board meeting in Norwich this morning.

Ms Cave was previously the finance director at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for six years, before she resigned earlier this month.

She replaces Andrew Hopkins, who resigned from NSFT in July after 12 years with the trust.

NSFT's interim director of finance John Doyle will stay in his position for a period of time to help with the transition.

The trust is in a difficult financial position but has agreed a plan with watchdog Monitor which aims to see them end the 2015/16 financial year with a £9.4m deficit.

Meanwhile, Mr Scott and trust chairman Gary Page will represent the body at a new group of health bosses in the region which will discuss ways to integrate and improve healthcare in the future.

The group, which consists of the chief executives and chairmen of all the health trusts, clinical commissioning groups, and Norfolk Councty Council, met for the first time around two weeks ago.

Mr Scott said: 'When patients turn up for treatment they expect to see one NHS, they don't understand the difference between the organisations within, so we want to make it all more similiar.

'We don't want to send three different health professionals to see patients so we need to work together to share information.

'That will give a better service to people.'

He said the group hoped to have concrete proposals for changes in place by early 2016.