A revolutionary service for victims of sexual assault is to open in Glasgow after a public outcry over the low conviction rate in rape cases.

The Archway Glasgow project will offer Scotland's first one-stop shop of forensic examiners, counsellors and health advisers in an attempt to lessen the trauma of sex attack victims and secure a higher prosecution rate.

At present victims must visit an array of professionals in different places. First they are examined, often by a male doctor, in a police station. After that they can attend counselling, see their GP and go to a specialist clinic for help in case they have contracted a sexually transmitted disease. Only 4.3% of rape cases in Scotland result in a conviction .

The Archway Glasgow project, which has received £1.5 million funding from the Scottish Executive, will open in March or April 2007 and will initially operate for three years in a newly designed wing of the Sandyford Initiative clinic in Glasgow.

It is expected that each year around 180 women, 20 men and 50 children under 16 will use the service, which could be used as a blueprint for further specialist centres across the country. Strathclyde police, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health boards, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Violence Against Women Partnership and Rape Crisis Scotland have come together to provide expert input.

Archway manager May Deanie said current arrangements could leave victims intimidated and frightened . "At the moment the service isn't working - we want to provide an integrated, holistic service that will get victims the help they need quickly and effectively," she said. "We will have storage facilities to keep forensic evidence for up to 12 weeks in case victims need time to decide whether to report the assault to the police. Over that time they will be offered short-term and long-term counselling, and after that we will help them get assistance from other agencies if they need it."

Last year the Sunday Herald revealed that most police forces struggle to provide female doctors for examinations, leading to delays of up to 24 hours in collecting evidence. Victims often cannot bear to be examined by a male doctor . To tackle that, a large specialist staff is being recruited to provide appropriate care. Deanie said: "As well as a full-time medical examiner, full-time counsellor and two part-time nurses we will have a bank of 12 specialist nurses, 12 forensic support workers and a number of other support workers.

"It will be absolutely up to victims whether they want to get the police involved, but keeping evidence for three months gives them that option if and when they are ready. We hope not only to provide a much better level of care, but also increase the reporting rates of rape and sexual assault cases."

England already has a number of similar centres, which have been credited with improving services to rape victims.

In Scotland there has been a national outcry over poor conviction rates in cases of serious sexual violence. Elish Angiolini, the recently appointed lord advocate, has indicated she wants to implement the recommendations of a review she oversaw of the prosecution of rape cases, including a broader definition of rape .

Sandy Brindley, national co-ordinator of Rape Crisis Scotland, said the Archway's "joined-up service" was badly needed. "Women have been distressed for decades about the lack of female examiners and by the fact the onus falls on them to help themselves by seeking out specialist services," she said.

"I'm very hopeful that this is going to make a huge difference for female - and male - victims in Scotland."

Professor Michele Burman, co-director of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research and an expert in the study of sexual violence, applauded the project. "This is something Scotland really needs. In other centres in the UK bringing specialists together to help victims has been seen to work, and it cannot help but improve the justice response, which is of course very poor at present."