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Beaumont Care Homes is purchasing Four Seasons Health Care's remaining 29 care homes in Northern Ireland.

Beaumont Care Homes said legal contracts for the care homes had been exchanged as part of the Four Seasons Health Care Group's "restructuring".

It said it would be retaining staff at the homes as well as the "entirety of the current management team".

It said this would support the "continuity of care and service standards".

"We would like to reassure the residents, staff, and their families of a smooth transition as the final stages of the exchange process take place over the coming months," Beaumont Care Homes added in a statement.

"The wellbeing and comfort of residents is our highest priority, and we are retaining the staff at each of the homes to ensure continuity of care and minimum disruption."

It added that while Beaumont Care Homes was a newly formed company, the senior management team has "decades of care home management experience, having operated the Hill Care Group, consisting of nearly 40 homes across the North of England, for more than 20 years".

"If any residents, their loved ones or staff have any questions during this time, we would encourage them to speak with the existing care home teams," Beaumont added.

Four Seasons Health Care said it was pleased that all the homes were being sold "as a going concern, all staff have been transferred over and the residents across the homes will remain in their care homes as at present".

Last year, Four Seasons Health Care sold 13 of its Northern Ireland nursing homes to healthcare operator Ann's Care Homes.

In October 2020, administrators for Four Seasons Health Care began a process to sell its care homes in Northern Ireland.

Its parent company had entered administration in April 2019 and had gone through a significant restructuring process.