Watch the video: Why every German should know this phone number.
There are a few numbers that everyone should know: 112 for the fire service and emergency services. Almost as important, but much less well-known, is 116 117. This is the number that you can use to reach the on-call doctor. Up to now, far too many people have called the emergency doctor or gone to an emergency room when they only need a family doctor. The result: emergency services and emergency rooms are often overloaded. In an interview with Stern TV, a nurse said that around half of all patients do not need to go to the emergency room. For complaints that are not life-threatening, there is 116 117. Patients are then transferred to the nearest on-call doctor. This is open at night, on weekends and on public holidays and deals with all complaints that are not life-threatening. If you are about to have complaints and your family doctor is closed, then dial 116 117 – unless it is a real emergency. In life-threatening situations, 112 must be dialed.