Registering a still-birth

How to register a still-birth

It is a time of great sadness when parents and families experience a still-birth and we will do our best at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office to make the registration process as easy and efficient as possible.

If the still-birth occurred in Kensington and Chelsea, you can book an appointment to register the still-birth. You can also call us on 020 7361 4100 or email us at [email protected] to arrange an appointment. Staff are trained to prioritise requests for still-birth appointments above all other appointments and services.

How quickly can or should the still-birth be registered?

It is possible to register the still-birth as soon as you feel ready to. Please note however that it is a legal requirement for the still-birth to be registered within 42 days.

Where can the still-birth be registered?

A still-birth may only be registered in the registration district in which it took place. If the still-birth occurred in the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital or at any other address located within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea then this should be registered at the Kensington and Chelsea Register Office. You may do this in person here at the Chelsea Old Town or by ‘declaration’ at any other Register Office in England or Wales.

Registering in person

The registration must be made by the parents. Unfortunately, they cannot ask a friend or relative to attend instead. If the parents are married, or in a civil partnership, only one of them needs to attend the register office. If they are not married, both parents will need to attend the appointment together. We aim to arrange an appointment for you as soon as possible. Please contact us on 020 7361 4100 or at [email protected].

Registering by declaration

If you are not able to attend this office to register the still-birth then you can go to any other register office in England or Wales to register by declaration. This is a slower process and you should be aware of the following:

• the registration takes place when we receive your declaration by post from the other register office
• We will post your documentation, including the funeral form, to you after registration and you may not be able to arrange a funeral until this arrives

If you have any questions about registering by declaration please call us on 020 7361 4100 or email us at: [email protected]

Who is able to register the still-birth?

If the parents were married to each other at the time of the still-birth then either the mother or father may register. One of them may attend on their own or they both may attend together.

If the parents were not married to each other at the time of the still-birth then only the mother may register. She should attend with the father if she would like his details to be included on the certificate.

We regret that a friend or relative may not register the still-birth on behalf of the parents.

What information needs to be supplied to the registrar?

In order to register a still-birth, we require a Medical Certificate of Cause of Still-birth which is issued by a doctor or midwife. Legislation allows the certifying doctor or midwife to scan the Medical Certificate of Cause of Still-birth directly to the register office.

If you are handed the Medical Certificate of Cause of Still-birth, please inform the register office, and bring the original with you to your appointment.

If the still-birth has been referred to the coroner’s office, please call us on 020 7361 4100 or email us at [email protected] 

You may also have a discharge letter from the hospital where the still-birth occurred. Please also bring this to the appointment if you have it.

When you attend the appointment to register the still-birth, the registrar will need to know the following information:

Information about the still-born child

• the date and place of still-birth
• whether the child was a boy or a girl
• the forename(s) and surname for the child

Information about the father

(Where these details are to be entered in the register).

• the father’s forenames and surname
• the father’s date and place of birth (town and country if born in the UK; country if born overseas)
• the father’s occupation at the time of the baby’s birth or, if he was not employed at that time, the occupation he last followed
• the father’s address (if he is not married to the mother and not living at the same address)

Information about the mother

• the mother’s forenames and surname (a maiden surname will also be required if the mother is, or ever has been, married)
• the mother’s date and place of birth (town and country if born in the UK; country if born overseas)
• the mother’s usual address at the time of birth
• the mother’s occupation (if the mother is no longer working but had been employed at any time before the birth this occupation can be entered in the register if the mother so wishes)
• the total number of previous children
• if the mother was married to the baby’s father at the time of the birth the registrar will need to know the date of that marriage

Naturally, it is most important that the information recorded in the register is correct. If a mistake is made in the register entry, it may not be possible to make a correction so we encourage you to spend a few extra minutes double-checking the registration details at the end of the appointment. If a correction is possible, we regret that a statutory fee of £99 applies.