Parents face huge backlog to register new arrivals
REOPENED HULL REGISTER OFFICE WORKING THROUGH 1,400 BIRTHS
PARENTS can now register their baby’s birth as Hull Register Office reopens - but there is a backlog of about 1,400 births to work through.
Hull City Council closed the Wilson Centre in Alfred Gelder Street, which manages the city’s births, deaths, marriages and civil ceremonies in March, and since then parents have been unable to register births, while deaths were registered over the phone.
Hull Register Office, inside the Wilson Centre has now resumed faceto-face registrations, however there is a huge backlog in Hull since March.
According to Hull Women and Children’s Hospital there were 416 babies born in March, 405 babies born in April, 394 babies born in May and 454 babies born in June.
It means there are 1,253 babies from the past three months alone, plus several of the 416 babies born in March after the offices closed.
Staff will work through the births in date order, with those giving birth at the end of March first in line to register their baby.
A notice on the Hull City Council website says: “Please be aware you may still have to wait a while before for you are able to obtain an appointment.
“There are a lot babies that need to be registered and there is a backlog of birth registrations so please be aware that we will be working in date order.
“If you are not able to book an appointment at this time, please check availability again later.”
There will also be new rules in place for registering births in person.
Under the new rules:
Parents must take their own pen. They must arrive on time and are asked not to bring their new baby or other children to the appointment.
Parents who are married are told only one parent should attend.
If you are not married or in a civil partnership and the father’s details are to be recorded on the certificate, both parents should attend.
A council spokesman said: “We have put a number of additional measures in place because of the coronavirus pandemic in order to protect you, your family, other customers and our staff.
“Please ensure you read our guidance before booking and attending your appointment.”
Parents have also been told that birth certificates will not be issued at the appointment.
Once the birth has been registered, certificates can be ordered and paid for online, at a cost of £11 each. Certificates will be posted out.
Not all appointments will be at the Register Office, at The Wilson Centre. Parents have been told to book an appointment at their local office.
To find out more and book an appointment, visit www.hull.gov.uk/ communities-and-living/births-anddeaths/birth-registration