Backlog in baby registrations tops 5,000 amid crisis

Almost 5,000 babies across Kent and Medway have been left unregistered amid the coronavirus pandemic, it has emerged. The council-run services were suspended at the start of the outbreak in March, with resources diverted to tackling the Covid19 crisis, including registering a growing number of deaths. It has meant a backlog of more than 3,500 birth registrations in Kent, and more than 1,000 in Medway.

KCC’S head of registration, James Pearson, says the authority hopes to significantly reduce the backlog over the next four to six weeks after the service resumed yesterday (Wednesday).

With face-to-face appointments essential, safety measures had to be put in place first. A large volume of Kent death registrations have been carried out over the phone during the pandemic, but birth registrations will have to be carried out in person unless Government emergency legislation is changed.

These will be delivered from 10 locations across the county for births.

A KCC spokesman said: “We will be offering appointments between the hours of 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday. “We will be contacting those couples who had by necessity had their appointments cancelled at the start of lockdown so we can book them a new appointment.” Services have also resumed in Medway for babies born before the end of April, but weddings and civil partnerships remain postponed.

Cllr Rupert Turpin, the portfolio holder in charge of registration services, said: “Registering the birth of a child is usually an incredibly happy time and we are committed to providing new parents with the best experience possible during these unusual times.

“We have launched a new booking system on our website for parents to book an appointment to register the birth of their child.

“We want to reassure new parents that we have made the register office Covid-secure and we have implemented a number of additional measures to ensure both our customers and staff are kept safe, including creating booths for appointments.”

Baby registration services were suspended