Acorn (fast pass to access services)

Who can use ACoRN?

ACoRN is available to any of the following:

• People under-20
• Looked after or accommodated people under-25
• Anyone supported by one of our Family Nurse Partnership team
• Anyone up to 12 months after a delivery or abortion
• Anyone living with a disadvantage such as substance use, homelessness, offending behaviour or gender-based violence

If a person asks for/or presents an ACoRN Fast Pass we will:

• see them without asking why they need to be seen
• ask some details to register them with our service
• see them as a priority at drop-in and usually within 30 minutes of arrival
• provide a time to be seen usually within 48 hours if phoning

The ACoRN Fast Pass can be used over the phone to book an appointment or at any of our drop-in sessions.

Information for support services

Think your service should be providing women with ACoRN Fast Passes and information? 

Please download our cards or email amy.ross8@nhs.scot to request hard copies.

Why we use ACoRN Fast Pass

• To reduce inequality in sexual health access.
• To provide safe and accessible sexual health services delivered with and for the people of Fife.
• To support everyone in Fife achieving good sexual health.

Different approaches are needed to support everyone to have good sexual health.

Women living with disadvantages (substance dependency, offending behaviour and/or homelessness) have the greatest risk of sexual ill health. This includes:

• unplanned pregnancy
• abortion
• high perinatal and maternal morbidity
• low uptake of cervical screening
• low contraceptive use

We noticed that few women with these disadvantages attend mainstream sexual health services in Fife.  Women have shared with us some of the reasons why this can be difficult & helped us develop the ACoRN Fast Pass (Access Care Respond to Needs). 

We hope this will support more people living with disadvantage to attend Sexual Health Fife to access testing, treatment & prevention and not just when things go wrong. We will provide contraception, testing for sexually transmitted infections including HIV & Hepatitis, cervical screening, Hep B vaccination as well as free condoms & sanitary protection.  

We will continue to involve women to ensure high satisfaction with ACoRN.

For further information please contact amy.ross8@nhs.scot