Where Can I Find a Doctor on the Weekend?
Many people ask this question when they get sick on a Saturday or Sunday. The good news: Medical care is available in Berlin on weekends as well. While most practices are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, the medical on-call service is on duty at these times to ensure care. Here you will learn what options are available for seeing a doctor on the weekend.
General Practitioner on Saturday
Some general practitioner or specialist practices do offer office hours on Saturday mornings as a courtesy or special service. This is not the norm in Berlin, but it does happen – for example, certain private practices, emergency consultations, or pediatricians that are open for a few hours on Saturday.
It is worth asking your own general practitioner in advance (if you can plan ahead) whether there is Saturday service, or researching online. The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, for example, offers a doctor search function where you can filter by opening hours. However, you should not rely on this – the primary point of contact for weekend care remains the on-call service.
116117 – Doctors Available on Weekends
The medical on-call service takes over outpatient care on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays throughout the day. As soon as regular practices close (usually Friday afternoon), the doctors' weekend service begins.
You can call 116117 at any time of day or night on weekends and will be connected to a doctor on duty. In Berlin, the typical on-call service hours are Saturday from 2 p.m. (after the last possibly open practices) until Monday at 7 a.m. Public holidays are also included. During these times, there are no gaps – the system ensures that enough doctors are assigned to handle calls and patients.
Medical On-Call Practices on Weekends
Berlin has several statutory health insurance on-call practices that are specifically open on weekends to treat patients on an outpatient basis. Opening hours are usually Saturday, Sunday, and public holidays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (summer) or until 9 p.m. (winter).
These on-call practices are distributed throughout the city (see next section for details). They function like small emergency centers: you can go there without an appointment when you need a doctor on the weekend. You will find a team of doctors and medical staff there, often located in or near a hospital, but separate from the actual emergency department.
For example, there are such weekend practices at Vivantes Klinikum Friedrichshain, at the Jewish Hospital (Wedding), at the DRK Klinikum Westend, and other locations.
For children, there are also special pediatric on-call practices on weekends, for example at the Charité Virchow, in Neukölln, Lichtenberg, Tempelhof, etc. These pediatric services cover the youngest patients if a pediatrician is needed on the weekend.
Which Doctors Are Open on Weekends?
Apart from these on-call practices and occasional voluntary Saturday office hours, the answer is: the doctors of the on-call service. Practically all private practice doctors take turns doing on-call service.
This means that if you need a general practitioner on the weekend, most likely a general practitioner from your city will be on duty – only not in his or her own practice, but either on house calls or assigned to the central on-call practice.
The same applies to specialists: In some regions, for example, an ENT doctor or gynecologist is on standby in case such special emergencies occur. Berlin, for example, has fixed weekend schedules for pediatricians so that a pediatrician is always available. The dispatch center handles the referral to the right doctor, so you don't have to worry about it.
What to Do If You Get Sick on the Weekend? Here's a Quick Step-by-Step Recommendation:
- Check Your Own General Practitioner: Are there any emergency instructions on your general practitioner's answering machine? Some practices mention the nearest open on-call practice or even have a Saturday office hour. Make a note of the information if available.
- Call 116117: Describe your problem. The dispatch center will tell you what to do – whether you should go to an on-call practice or wait for a house call. Often they also know the address of the nearest weekend practice.
- Visit the Emergency Practice or Wait: If you are mobile and it is reasonable for you, go to the recommended practice. Bring your health insurance card and an ID with you. There you check in and will be treated. Or stay home if a house call has been arranged. Keep your doorbell free and your front door ready so the doctor can find you.
- Note the Pharmacy Emergency Service: Remember that you may need medication on the weekend. Doctors on call issue prescriptions – a network of on-call pharmacies ensures that pharmacies are open on weekends as well. You can find a current on-call pharmacy schedule online or via phone number 22833 (SMS service for pharmacies) – or ask the doctor, who often knows which pharmacy nearby is open.
Typical Scenarios on the Weekend
Imagine you get severe sore throat and fever on a Sunday. Your general practitioner is closed – what do you do? You call 116117. They may recommend that you visit the on-call practice near you (for example, at the nearest hospital). You go there, wait briefly, and are examined by a doctor who prescribes an antibiotic for you. You take the prescription to the on-call pharmacy, and you're all set.
Another example: Your grandfather suddenly has heart arrhythmias on Saturday evening. You're not sure if it's serious. You call 116117. The dispatch center considers this potentially critical and would rather send an emergency doctor (112) – a few minutes later the ambulance arrives. This example shows: Even on the weekend, you will be guided correctly through 116117, depending on what is needed.
Medical Emergency Service on Weekends for Tourists
Berlin is a major tourist destination. Even if you get sick as a visitor on the weekend, you can use 116117. Even if you don't speak German, help is possible – the dispatch center can often speak English and other languages or call in an interpreter service.
Important: EU citizens should have their European health insurance card with them; tourists from non-EU countries should ideally have travel health insurance, but will of course not be turned away in an emergency.
In Short
On the weekend in Berlin, a doctor is always available. With a little planning (dial 116117, follow instructions), you can get the medical care you need on Saturdays and Sundays. Doctor visits on the weekend don't have to wait until Monday – use the existing on-call system.