Pediatric out-of-hours care in Berlin is the urgent medical care available for children outside regular surgery hours – in the evening, at night, on weekends and on public holidays, when your child's pediatric practice is closed and an examination cannot wait until the next working day. Through the nationwide on-call number 116 117, the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KV Berlin) coordinates on-call practices, telephone triage and home visits; in addition, the private on-call service RAB Arztbesuche makes home visits to families across the entire city, usually within 60 to 90 minutes. This guide explains to parents when pediatric out-of-hours care is the right choice, when to call 112 immediately instead, and how a home visit for a sick child works.
When is pediatric out-of-hours care the right choice in Berlin?
Pediatric out-of-hours care is intended for acute but stable illnesses where there is no immediate danger to life and the regular pediatric practice is closed. It fills the gap between the local pediatrician and the hospital emergency department on evenings, weekends and public holidays.
Typical reasons Berlin parents contact the pediatric on-call service include high or persistent fever above 39 °C that does not respond to fever syrups, severe earache, marked sore throat with difficulty swallowing, acute respiratory infections with coughing, vomiting or diarrhea with early signs of fluid loss, and newly appeared skin rashes. In infants and young children under three, symptoms often change within a few hours, which is why a prompt medical assessment is sensible – even without a life-threatening situation.
When must parents call 112 immediately?
At any sign of an acute threat to life, only the emergency medical service on 112 is responsible – not the on-call service and not a private home visit. In these cases, any delay caused by first calling an outpatient service would be dangerous.
Call 112 immediately if your child shows any of these pediatric red flags:
- Severe breathing difficulty – blue lips, visibly retracting accessory breathing muscles, wheezing or very rapid breathing.
- Reduced consciousness – unconsciousness, marked drowsiness, the child cannot be woken or is unresponsive.
- Febrile seizure or convulsion – especially if it lasts longer than five minutes or recurs.
- Dehydration – heavy fluid loss through vomiting or diarrhea, dry lips, no tears, no wet nappy for many hours.
- Severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), swelling of the face and throat, suspected poisoning, and heavy bleeding that cannot be stopped.
- Infants under three months with a fever above 38 °C – always seek medical help immediately.
Berlin has specialized pediatric emergency units, for example at the Charité Virchow Klinikum and at the Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln. Where needed, a pediatric emergency physician is dispatched via 112. A private on-call service never replaces the emergency medical service.
A pediatrician on the weekend in Berlin – what are the options?
On weekends, Berlin families have several routes to care, since very few pediatric practices offer Saturday surgery hours and those that do are usually heavily booked. The first step is normally a call to 116 117.
The KV Berlin control center names the nearest open pediatric on-call practice. Such pediatric on-call practices are based at several hospital sites – for example at the DRK Kliniken Westend (Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf), the Sana Klinikum Lichtenberg, the Charité Virchow Klinikum (Wedding), the Vivantes Klinikum Neukölln and the St. Joseph Krankenhaus Tempelhof. No prior appointment is usually needed; bring the child's health insurance card. Because care for statutorily insured children is billed through the insurer, it is free of charge – however, on Sundays and during waves of infection, expect waiting times of several hours in a crowded waiting room.
Why a home visit is often the gentlest option for a sick child
A home visit spares the sick child the stressful journey to an overcrowded on-call practice and reduces the infection risk from other sick children in the waiting room. Bundling up a feverish or exhausted child, putting them in the car and driving across the city adds stress – while a wait of several hours is a considerable burden, especially for infants and toddlers.
In familiar surroundings, children are more cooperative, which allows the doctor a calmer and more precise clinical assessment – a crying child in an unfamiliar consulting room is much harder to examine than a settled child in a parent's arms. A home visit is especially sensible with very high fever, with severely weakened children, for families without a car or with several small children, and where a contagious infectious disease is suspected.
What RAB Arztbesuche provides during a home visit for children
RAB Arztbesuche, the private on-call service, carries out home visits for children across the entire Berlin city area – daily from 6 a.m. to midnight, including Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. After a brief description of the symptoms by phone, the doctor usually arrives within 60 to 90 minutes.
On site the doctor performs a full physical examination: recording temperature, breathing rate and circulatory signs, listening to the lungs and heart, inspecting the throat and ears with an otoscope, and palpating the abdomen and lymph nodes. On this basis the doctor decides the next steps together with the parents. Where clearly indicated, private prescriptions for fever reducers, decongestant nose drops or antibiotics can be issued on the spot; likewise a medical certificate to care for the sick child (sick note) for the accompanying parent. If the examination points to a more serious illness, parents receive a clear recommendation to attend a hospital outpatient clinic. For international families, an English-speaking doctor can be sent on request.
How a pediatric home visit works – step by step
Every home visit begins with a phone call in which the urgency is assessed. The process usually involves five steps:
- Get in touch: Call 030 550 77 870 or book online. The child's age, main complaints, duration of symptoms, pre-existing conditions and any medication already given are recorded.
- Initial assessment: Based on this, it is decided whether a home visit is the right option or whether, in a given case, 112 or a hospital would be the correct route.
- Arrival: The doctor usually arrives within 60 to 90 minutes.
- Examination: The age-appropriate examination in the child's bedroom or living room takes roughly 20 to 40 minutes, depending on complexity.
- Treatment and follow-up: The doctor sets out the next steps, prescribes medication where needed and gives advice on home care. If the condition does not improve within 24 hours, parents receive a clear recommendation for a follow-up review.
What parents should have ready for the home visit
A little preparation makes the doctor's assessment easier and saves valuable minutes. Ideally have these documents and details to hand:
- The child's health insurance card, vaccination record and the yellow examination booklet (U-Heft).
- An up-to-date list of the medication the child takes, plus any known allergies.
- The course of the fever over recent hours (measured temperatures with times) and notes on fluid intake, vomiting and bowel movements.
- Existing medical reports for children with chronic conditions.
A clinical thermometer, an electrolyte solution for diarrhea and a favorite toy to reassure the child belong in every well-stocked home medicine cabinet and help defuse many weekend situations.
Cost and billing of the private home visit
A private home visit is billed according to the German Scale of Medical Fees (GOÄ); the amount depends on the time of day, the day of the week and the scope of the examination. Privately insured children are usually fully reimbursed by their insurer, and those entitled to Beihilfe through their Beihilfe office.
Statutorily insured families and self-payers can also use the service – reimbursement by the statutory health insurer is generally not provided, but many private supplementary insurances cover the cost in full or in part. The invoice is drawn up transparently under the GOÄ and can be issued in English on request, which makes reimbursement by travel or international health insurance easier. A telephone estimate of the likely cost is available at any time.
Frequently asked questions about pediatric out-of-hours care in Berlin
Is there a pediatrician available on Saturday or Sunday in Berlin?
Yes, children are examined on weekends through the pediatric on-call service and the pediatric on-call practices. You can find the nearest open practice by calling 116 117. There are only very few regular pediatric practices with Saturday surgery in Berlin and they are usually heavily booked. Anyone who wants to avoid waiting times and transporting a sick child can instead arrange a private home visit, which usually takes place within 60 to 90 minutes.
From what age will a doctor make a home visit?
A home visit is generally possible for children of all ages. With very young infants, especially under three months, the phone triage checks particularly carefully whether attending a pediatric hospital outpatient clinic is the medically safer option. For infants under three months with a fever above 38 °C, you should always seek medical help immediately.
Can the doctor issue a prescription and a sick note?
Yes, where indicated the doctor issues private prescriptions on the spot – for example for fever reducers, painkillers, decongestant nose drops or, with a clear indication, antibiotics. The prescription can then be filled at an on-call pharmacy. For the accompanying parent, a medical certificate to care for the sick child (sick note) can also be issued, as well as certificates for daycare or school on request.
How quickly does a doctor reach a sick child?
After the appointment is arranged by phone, the RAB Arztbesuche doctor usually arrives within 60 to 90 minutes. At peak times – Saturday morning, Sunday afternoon, public holidays or during waves of infection – arrival may take longer; cases are prioritized by medical urgency. For life-threatening symptoms such as severe breathing difficulty, a seizure or unconsciousness, always call 112 immediately – the emergency medical service is far faster and takes the child straight to the nearest pediatric emergency department.
When should you call 112 instead of the out-of-hours service?
112 is always the right choice when a life-threatening situation cannot be ruled out: severe breathing difficulty, reduced consciousness, a febrile seizure, clear signs of dehydration, a severe allergic reaction or suspected poisoning. In these cases no outpatient care should be awaited. Pediatric out-of-hours care and a private home visit are intended exclusively for acute but stable complaints.
Choosing the right route to care
Berlin's health system is clearly tiered: 112 is reserved for life-threatening emergencies, 116 117 connects you with the pediatric on-call service for acute but stable complaints, and the local pediatric practices handle routine care. Assessing symptoms appropriately helps to avoid unnecessary stress for the child, relieves emergency departments and reaches the right level of care quickly. If your child needs medical help in Berlin outside surgery hours and there is no life-threatening situation, you can reach RAB Arztbesuche daily from 6 a.m. to midnight on 030 550 77 870 or book your appointment directly online.