Problem is money with the NHS under strain any way. Probably a proper study would reveal that putting money in to postnatal care would save money in the long run (as well as maternal health/child's health etc). Has it been done? Trouble is no one would want to be in the group of control patients - but you could do it with one good and one bad hospital. I had a 16 hour labour 20 years ago with delayed epidural, forceps et al - my husband fought for a private room which was an utter blessing, but they come at a cost if you are more ill than I was and can't press a button to summon help. I also had help with breast feeding and the help of a health visitor who spotted 10 days I had a retained placenta ... that alone could have incapacitated me. There are charities dealing with some of these issues - undoubtedly MNHQ know about them and their support networks?
Actually I think it is doable to at least get a good idea of what's going on.
We have data for Friends and Family.
There is a 2014 study which looked at which trusts had peri-natal mental health cover.
There was data about midwife ratios (though could do with trying to see if there is more recent ones)
There is data about the number of births at hospitals.
Not sure about breast feeding. Its not something I'm familiar enough or looked into at all about what information there is available - there are others on MN who have more knowledge in this area.
I am willing to bet if you look at the data available you will see a pattern emerge with correlations just from one or two bits of this information.
You wouldn't need something research quality to start being able to at least ask the question and poke people with it. This is really what's needed imho to get the ball rolling and really get some heavy pressure about quality of care.
I'm trying to stat monkey at the moment, but its a big thing to do and I'm not sure I have enough time at the moment to do it justice but we shall see. If I can find at least enough to say, 'hey you need to explore this further' to someone that might be sufficient.
I know the money is there to be found and effectively reclaimed, its just a question of making a good case for it. At which point it starts becoming a political hot potato and one that might actually get a bit of interest and political momentum behind it.
Looking through the Friend and Family stuff alone, is proving somewhat eye opening (noting that its publically available as month by month, but doesn't seem to be in a year long period, which makes it difficult to compare easily). I am intrigued as to how this data is currently used and whether particular bad scores are investigated or whether its more of an exercise in pretending to give a shit rather that something from which change is actually happening from. From the look of the data, there are clearly some hospitals that seem to be under performing on a regular basis.
I did think that the Friends and Family thing might be a really good way in to get people's attention and to go 'Hey we are looking at you'. My previous suggestion of Mumsnet drawing a charter of some sort up, could then be something people support and kick people with. In feedback, saying on the card, 'I support the Mumsnet Charter, please do more to get care up to their campaign' Or something a lot more catchy and easy to remember would be a good way to get people to realise that you aren't alone and there is a political force to be reckoned with. (Hey doesn't everyone want women's votes at the moment?)
If my suspicion is right, then there is also definitely a particularly acute problem in London. Which start away feeds into the current political agenda. There is a new Mayor out there who has said things about housing and rightly or wrongly is under scrutiny for his agenda with regard to women.
Like I say, I'll try and work on the theories I have...