The Health Secretary has written to colleagues to address concerns over the future of a care home group placed in administration.

Nicola Sturgeon contacted all Scottish MSPs to pass on information about the care group Argus which entered administration on Wednesday.

The care group employs 780 people and provides nursing, residential and respite care for 500 residents across 12 homes in Scotland.

Ms Sturgeon said in the letter she wanted to address the situation which may be concerning constituents in various areas of the country.

She said: "Two well established consultant care providers, Care Concern and Select Care, have been appointed in the short term to oversee the management of care in the 12 homes currently within the Argus Care Group under administration.

"The intention is for these operators to take over in the longer term, subject to appropriate business terms being agreed and regulatory conditions being satisfied.

"The administrator will be writing to staff, residents and their families to inform them of these arrangements and give assurances about the continuity of care."

The Health Secretary also informed MSPs that the National Contingency Planning group, set up in April 2011 to help statutory agencies address such circumstances, met today to ensure an appropriate response is agreed by all authorities involved.

The group is accountable jointly to the Health Secretary and Cosla's health and wellbeing spokesman Douglas Yates.

Accountants and business advisers PKF have been appointed administrators for Argus and have said they are committed to ensuring that residents are disrupted as little as possible.

Bryan Jackson, corporate recovery partner with PKF, said: "We will continue to operate the homes as normal while they are in administration.

"We appreciate that these are not like any other businesses but are the homes of the residents, and ensuring there is continuity of care is our priority.

"Whilst trading, we will be seeking buyers for the business trading from the homes and will market them as going concerns."

Argus has care centres in Aberdeen, Ayr, Bishopton, Blairgowrie, Castle Douglas, Dunoon, Oban, Peterhead and Turriff.