When should I call 116117?

What 116117 delivers — and what it does not

116117 is the central number for the German statutory on-call medical service run by the regional KVs (Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen). It is the same nationwide, free from any network and staffed 24/7. The dispatchers run a structured triage and decide: phone advice, referral to a nearby on-call practice (Bereitschaftspraxis), arranging a house call by a contracted physician, or — for suspected emergencies — transferring you to 112. For GKV patients the care is free, financed through statutory insurance. Privately insured patients may call too, but typically pay the contracted physician's fee out of pocket if their tariff does not reimburse EBM billing.

The right scenario for 116117: it is a weekend, public holiday or night — outside regular practice hours — and your symptoms cannot wait until the next working day but are not life-threatening. Classic pictures: fever above 39 °C, acute respiratory infection deteriorating, urinary tract infection with pain, migraine resistant to home measures, gastroenteritis with persistent vomiting, back pain with mobility loss, earache in children. If unsure, ask the dispatcher — they will not turn you away but will route you appropriately.

The honest Berlin weakness: wait times. 116117 house calls in Berlin often take 4 to 8 hours, longer during flu season. On-call practices (Charité Virchow, Vivantes Friedrichshain) are frequently full. Anyone unwilling or unable to wait chooses the private route deliberately — faster, but at their own expense. Conversely, for true emergencies never call 116117 — always 112. The 116117 desk is not designed for life-threatening situations and you lose precious seconds.

Example: fever on a public holiday

A GKV-insured man in Kreuzberg suddenly develops 39.5 °C fever with shivering and headache on a public holiday afternoon. His GP is closed. He calls 116117, describes the symptoms, the dispatcher classifies him as 'urgent but not life-threatening' and names an on-call practice at Charité Virchow. After a three-hour wait he is examined, receives a viral diagnosis and a prescription — free of charge on his insurance card. Had he not wanted to wait, the private route would have been possible within 70 minutes — but as a self-payer at around 250 to 320 euros.

When 116117 is the right choice

• Outside practice hours: evenings from 6 pm, nights, weekends, public holidays.
• Symptoms are urgent but not life-threatening.
• You are statutorily insured and want care without out-of-pocket costs.
• You can realistically accept 4 to 8 hours of wait time or travel to an on-call practice.
• Typical pictures: high fever, respiratory infection, UTI, migraine, GI infection, acute back pain.
• Pure advice also possible: unsure whether you need a doctor — the dispatcher helps you triage.
• Not for repeat prescriptions of long-term medication — that is the weekday GP's job.
• Never for suspected heart attack, stroke, breathing failure, unconsciousness — always 112.