Rape/Sexual Assault

Information about the NHS Sexual Assault Response Coordination Service (SARCS)

The NHS Scotland sexual assault self-referral phone service can help to arrange care for you in the days following a rape or sexual assault. The service may be able to arrange for you to have a forensic medical examination (FME) at a SARCS without making a report to the police.

If you have recently been raped or sexually assaulted, it’s understandable if you don’t know what to do or where to turn.

A dedicated NHS sexual assault service is available for you to get support if you have been raped or sexually assaulted within the last 7 days, if you are not ready to tell the police or are unsure.

You will be treated with compassion, dignity and respect at all times. The healthcare staff are there to help provide any medical, emotional or practical support you might need. The person you speak to will explain the options available to you. You will be supported to help find the right option for you.

If you have been raped or sexually assaulted within the last 7 days and do not want to tell the police or are unsure about telling them now – you can self-refer to a SARCS. This means you don’t need a GP or other healthcare professional to refer you to a SARCS – you can do this yourself.

You can phone NHS 24 on 111, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and speak to a specially trained healthcare professional who can help to arrange the care you might need.  

You can find more information about how to self-refer to a SARCS and the telephone number to call, on the NHS Inform website www.nhsinform.scot/sarcs

If you have been raped or sexually assaulted, you can report it to the police at any time, in an emergency situation dial 999, non-emergencies dial 101,  www.scotland.police.uk