When to call 112 instead of a private doctor?

How to decide between 112 and a house call in seconds

112 is the pan-European emergency number and Berlin's central node for every life-threatening situation. You dial it whenever you sense someone might die or sustain lasting harm if professional help does not arrive within minutes. That includes unconsciousness or marked drowsiness, sudden severe chest pain (suspected heart attack), acute shortness of breath, sudden paralysis or speech disturbance (suspected stroke), severe bleeding, seizure, major burns, major trauma, poisoning by medication or chemicals, anaphylactic shock, suicidal intent or acute danger to others. In all these situations, 112 is not only correct — it is medically and legally mandatory.

A private house call complements that emergency service — it never replaces it. We come for urgent but non-life-threatening complaints: high fever without sepsis signs, acute bronchitis without severe dyspnoea, gastroenteritis without dehydration crisis, migraine, back pain, urinary tract infection, sports injury without open wound or suspected fracture, wound checks, mild allergic reactions, skin rashes, earache, sinusitis, follow-up reviews. We diagnose on site, prescribe, issue sick-notes, refer onward to the right hospital and spare you a multi-hour wait in an overloaded Berlin A&E.

If in doubt, a simple rule: better one 112 call too many than one too few. The Berlin Fire Department control room is staffed 24/7 by experienced dispatchers who decide within minutes whether an ambulance, an emergency physician or another path fits — and who guide you through first aid over the phone until help arrives. The call costs you nothing even if it turns out no rescue was needed. When unsure, dial 112 first — you can still choose a private house call afterwards. We are happy to phone with you if you are uncertain whether your situation fits our remit or the emergency category.

Example: chest pain in a 65-year-old man

A 65-year-old man in Wilmersdorf wakes around 3 am with pressing chest pain radiating into his left arm and jaw. He is pale, sweating, short of breath. His wife calls us — we say on the phone: 'Hang up now and dial 112. We cannot beat the ambulance here, and every minute counts.' She does, the emergency physician arrives within eight minutes, the man is taken to Charité with suspected heart attack and treated in the cardiac catheter lab. Had she waited for our house call, 60 critical minutes would have been lost. We tell you this without diplomatic phrasing — your safety outweighs our booking volume.

These symptoms mean 112 — no hesitation

• Unconsciousness or progressive drowsiness — person not responsive to voice or pain.
• Sudden, severe chest pain radiating into arm, jaw or back — suspected heart attack.
• Sudden shortness of breath, blue lips, unable to speak in full sentences — suspected pulmonary embolism, severe asthma attack, anaphylactic shock.
• Sudden one-sided paralysis, drooping mouth, slurred speech — suspected stroke (FAST: Face, Arms, Speech, Time).
• Seizure lasting more than 5 minutes or recurring — status epilepticus.
• Severe uncontrolled bleeding — pulsatile bleeding, blood in vomit, black tarry stool with dizziness.
• Major burn larger than the patient's own palm, or burns to face or airway.
• Suspected poisoning by medication, drugs or chemicals — if conscious also call Berlin Poison Centre (030 / 19240) in parallel.
• Self-harm with suicidal intent or acute danger to others.