Nick Hulme appointed chief executive at Norfolk and Norwich

Nick Hulme has been appointed interim chief executive officer at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Mr Hulme is currently CEO of the East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust - which already runs two other hospitals in East Anglia.

And he is set to continue this role - for which he is paid between £200,000 - while simultaneously running the NNUH.

The trusts have not yet disclosed how his time will be split and how much each will pay him.

He said: "I am very much looking forward to meeting and working with colleagues at NNUH and getting to know more about the wider health and social care system in Norfolk and Waveney, to help improve how we care and treat people."

He will take on the role on a temporary basis from August 14 until February 2024, while the N&N continues to search for a permanent CEO.

It comes following the resignation of current boss Sam Higginson, who is leaving his £205,000 post (including pension-based benefits) to take on a senior role at NHS England.

Sam Higginson, departing CEO of the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Picture: NNUH (Image: NNUH)

Tom Spink, chairman of NNUH said: "Nick is a very experienced leader who has worked in large, complex organisations like ours and we look forward to welcoming him in a few weeks' time."

It also comes after Mr Hulme took on an advisory role to support the struggling Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust in September.

He was appointed to this role by NHS Norfolk and Waveney, but in November declined a request from this newspaper for an interview about this.

Mr Hulme has more than 40 years of experience working in the NHS and has led ESNEFT since it was formed in 2018.

The trust runs two hospitals - Ipswich and Colchester - and co-ordinates community services in east Suffolk and north east Essex.