Information about Streptococcus A (Strep A) and scarlet fever
What happens to evidence from a forensic medical examination (FME)
Phoning the sexual assault self-referral phone service
You can phone the NHS Scotland sexual assault self-referral phone service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800 148 88 88. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.
During your FME, samples will be taken and stored as part of the evidence gathering process. This is done to ensure that if you wish to make a report to the police, the evidence is available and can be used in court.
The sexual assault response co-ordination service (SARCS) will keep your evidence safe for 26 months (2 years and 2 months), from the day of your examination. This is called the ‘retention period’. During that time, you can decide if you want to tell the police about the assault.
Samples are stored securely by your health board and cannot be accessed by anyone, including the police, without your permission.
Last updated:
01 April 2022