Shadow health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, has attacked the role of private equity firms in social care saying too many are failing to provide the basic level of care.

Streeting pledged to boost care recruitment by guaranteeing fair pay, workers’ rights and training under a new National Care Service.

The shadow health and social care secretary said: “Care home residents deserve to be well looked after and to have the security of a financially stable care home,” the Press Association reported.

“Too many private equity firms are failing to provide basic levels of care to residents, while gambling with care homes’ futures and leeching millions out of the British taxpayer and the pockets of residents.

“Meanwhile care workers are leaving in droves to work at places like Amazon, because the pay and conditions are better.

“It’s bad for residents, their families and the taxpayer. The next Labour government will enforce high standards from all providers and kick out those leeching millions out of care.

“We will recruit the care workers needed to look after residents well by guaranteeing fair pay, full rights at work, and proper training.”

The shadow health and social care secretary said that under a National Care Service private providers would be required to meet decent standards, including “delivering quality care for residents and running care homes in a financially sustainable way”.

Labour said its research showed that around 13% of private-equity owned providers were not providing levels of care.