51ÁÔÆæ

If you urgently require a doctor at night, on the weekend or a public holiday, you will have to rely on the emergency services (otherwise known as "ärztlicher Notdienst" or "ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst"). On-call assistance is available on the weekend, on holidays and during the night from a hospital, physician or pharmacy in your area. Many newspapers publish daily listings of the physicians and pharmacies that are on call.

In life threatening or other serious situations, or if you are uncertain, dial 112, which connects you with the emergency medical service. The number is valid throughout Germany. An ambulance will arrive within 15 minutes. The emergency number is toll-free.

If the situation is not quite as serious, you can go directly to a hospital A&E department. A&E departments are open day and night.

You can also dial 116 117 for an on-call physician; this number is valid throughout Germany. The call is free from landlines and mobile phones, and is available to all patients with statutory or private health insurance.