Alongside home visit services, medical on-call practices (also called KV emergency service practices) play a central role in emergency care outside regular office hours. These practices are contact points that treat patients on an ambulatory basis when normal practices are closed. Berlin has several such on-call practices for adults and children. Here we provide an overview.
What is an on-call practice?
An on-call practice is basically a medical practice that is open in the evenings or on weekends to treat acute patients without an appointment. It is operated or coordinated by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV). In Berlin, KV on-call practices are often located in or next to hospitals, but operate independently from the emergency department. They are equipped like regular practices, with treatment rooms, waiting areas, reception, and the necessary medical equipment for general practitioner examinations. Patients who need urgent treatment but do not require an emergency ambulance can come here.
Where are these practices located?
In Berlin, there are currently several locations distributed throughout the city. For adults (general medicine/internal medicine), there are on-call practices at, among others:
- Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf: at DRK Clinics Berlin Westend (Central Emergency Department, Spandauer Damm 130, 14050 Berlin)
- Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg: at Vivantes Clinic in Friedrichshain (Landsberger Allee 49, 10249 Berlin)
- Marzahn-Hellersdorf: at Accident Hospital Berlin in Biesdorf (Warener Str. 7, 12683 Berlin)
- Mitte (Wedding): at Jewish Hospital Berlin (Heinz-Galinski-Str. 1, 13347 Berlin)
- Neukölln: at Vivantes Clinic Neukölln (Rudower Straße 48, 12351 Berlin)
- Steglitz-Zehlendorf: at Charité Campus Benjamin Franklin (Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin)
These are examples; currently there are six locations for adults covering the city districts. For children and adolescents, there are separate pediatric on-call practices, for example:
- Charlottenburg: DRK Clinics Westend (Spandauer Damm 130) – Children's First Aid Station
- Lichtenberg: Sana Clinic Lichtenberg (Fanningerstraße 32, 10365 Berlin)
- Wedding: Charité Virchow Clinic (Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin – Children's Emergency Department Building 8)
- Neukölln: Vivantes Clinic Neukölln (Kormoranweg 45 – Children's Emergency Station)
- Tempelhof: St. Joseph's Hospital Tempelhof (Wüsthoffstr. 15, 12101 Berlin)
(Locations and addresses may change; current information can be found via KV Berlin or the 116117 website.)
Opening Hours
The on-call practices are not open around the clock, but specifically during times when regular office hours are closed:
- Weekdays: Some on-call practices open in the evenings, for example on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, when many practices are closed. Particularly Friday afternoon/evening (3 PM–8 or 9 PM, depending on the season), doctors are available. On Wednesdays (often after 2 PM), there may be children's on-call services (in surrounding areas, for example Wednesday pediatrician service, see Rüdersdorf information).
- Weekends and Public Holidays: The practices are typically open from 9 AM to 8 or 9 PM. This applies to Saturday, Sunday, and legal public holidays. On Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, special regulations apply (in Berlin usually treated as public holidays, so also from 9 AM). At night (for example at 2 AM on Sunday), the practices are closed – at that time home visits would be arranged or you would need to go to the hospital if necessary. However, the call center 116117 is staffed 24/7 as always, including at night. They can then either arrange a home visit or refer you to a clinic in case of emergency.
How do you use an on-call practice?
Basically very simply: Go without prior notification. If you are unsure, you can call 116117 first, but you are also welcome to appear directly at opening hours. On site, you register at the reception desk, just like at any practice. You must show your health insurance card. Then you take a seat in the waiting area until you are called. During peak times, there may be waiting times as mentioned, but the team tries to prioritize urgent cases. If you feel your condition is worsening while waiting, inform the staff. In pediatric services, it is similar, with child-friendly waiting rooms. Tip: If you come with a sick child, bring something for entertainment (toys, books) and possibly something to drink/eat for the child, as waiting times can be tiring for small children.
What is done in an on-call practice?
Doctors there can perform examinations and treatments like a regular general practitioner or specialist (depending on who is on duty). This means they can listen to your chest, look at your throat, measure blood pressure, check blood sugar, perform small lab tests (sometimes rapid CRP test, urinalysis, etc.), dress wounds, write an EKG, administer injections, etc. You can also receive medications on site – for example, pain relief syrup, fever suppositories for children, inhalation medications for asthma attacks – if needed to relieve acute symptoms. Of course, they can issue prescriptions, referrals (for example for X-rays on the next working day), or if necessary, send you to the hospital with a doctor's letter after examination if it turns out that further treatment (for example surgery) is required. However, many matters can be resolved conclusively in the on-call practice.
Coordination with 116117
You can find addresses and opening hours of on-call practices online at 116117.de or by asking. The phone hotline 116117 itself will also direct you there: Often they will actively suggest that you visit one of these practices if appropriate. In some cases, the call center can even notify the practice in advance that you are coming (this is internal – you don't need to do anything else – sometimes the call center calls the practice if, for example, a special case is coming, but that is not your concern). Important for you: On-call practices are part of the system, so you don't need to pay extra or anything like that – it all goes through your health insurance normally.
On-Call Practices in the Berlin Area
There are also such practices in the state of Brandenburg, in towns around Berlin. For example, in Rüdersdorf near Berlin (Immanuel Clinic Rüdersdorf), there is an on-call practice that also offers a pediatric service on Wednesdays/Fridays. In Potsdam, Bernau, Oranienburg, etc., there are comparable services. If you live just outside the city, the nearest on-call practice might be in Brandenburg. The 116117 call center will direct you to the correct address accordingly, as it cooperates across regions.
Why "On-Call Practice" Instead of Emergency Department?
This question was raised above: The KV emergency service practices are specifically designed to treat patients who would otherwise go to the hospital, even though outpatient care would suffice. They are meant to provide a qualitatively equivalent offer, but more efficiently. Instead of waiting for hours in an overcrowded emergency department among serious cases, you are usually better served at an on-call practice if it is not an absolute emergency. The doctors there have more time than an overburdened hospital emergency doctor, and the atmosphere is often calmer.
On-Call Practice = Regular Practice?
In principle yes, but remember: these practices are for acute cases. Routine examinations, check-ups, vaccinations, planned procedures – they are not for that. Come with acute problems only. And if, for example, you need a standing prescription (for a chronic medication) that has run out, you can certainly ask there if necessary – the doctor will prescribe it in genuine exceptional cases – but basically you should handle such things proactively through your regular practice. The same applies to sick notes: Of course, you will be issued a sick certificate at the on-call practice if you are ill over the weekend. But you may also be advised that if your illness lasts longer, you should contact your regular doctor again on Monday. This is not a criticism, but simply because the treating doctor should be familiar with the course of your condition.
Conclusion
Medical on-call practices in Berlin are an important component of healthcare provision. They make it possible for you to see a doctor in person outside of regular hours without an appointment. For common cases of "weekend colds" or "pain occurring at night," they are ideal. By all means, find out in advance which on-call practice is closest to your home – in an emergency, this saves time. And remember: Always consider first, emergency department or on-call practice? If there is no danger to life, you are usually in good hands at an on-call practice.