An emergency is a sudden incident where there is an immediate threat to the life and health of a patient. An emergency generally means a life-threatening situation, such as a serious accident, a suspected stroke or heart attack, unconsciousness or a serious fall. In any such situation, please call 112 immediately.
Unfortunately, long waiting times are not uncommon in emergency departments. From the waiting room of an emergency department, many of the emergencies being treated are not apparent. For example, seriously ill patients, such as those who have suffered a heart attack or who have had a serious accident, are treated immediately in a separate room. In general, patients are assigned different levels of urgency upon initial admission, in accordance with their symptoms (see triage information). This may mean that someone who comes to the emergency department after you will be treated before you.
Triage refers to the initial assessment carried out in the emergency department. Here, a specially trained medical professional will assess the urgency of your need for treatment. This ensures that patients who need urgent medical attention are treated quickly. Triaging determines the order in which patients are treated in the emergency department and can explain why certain patients have longer waiting times.
No. Even if you are brought in by ambulance, your condition will be assessed and prioritised in the emergency department (see triage information). In situations that are not deemed to be acute emergencies, longer waiting times should be expected. As a general rule, ambulances are not a substitute for taxis and should only be called when absolutely necessary.
On-call medical service is available when doctors’ surgeries are closed – during the night, at weekends and on public holidays. This service provides help for non-life-threatening medical emergencies that cannot wait until the following day. If you need information about your nearest emergency practice or home visits, you can call 116 117. This service is only available in German.
On-call medical service enables you to obtain help for health problems when doctors’ surgeries are closed. As part of this service, doctors from Bremen and Bremerhaven ensure that medical assistance is available outside of regular working hours. The service includes doctors from all areas of speciality, however there is a separate on-call service for children/adolescents and for dental pain. You can find all the addresses and opening hours here
You can typically get a doctor’s certificate or a prescription for medication from your GP (general practitioner) surgery. If you do not have a GP, you can also go to a GP surgery where you are not registered as a patient. It is recommended to call ahead and enquire at the surgery. Outside of the normal opening hours of doctors’ surgeries, i.e. at night, at weekends and on public holidays, the on-call medical service is available to provide help. You can find the exact opening hours and address information here. Please do not go to the emergency department for a doctor’s certificate, as this will not be issued there.
The emergency pharmacy service ensures that medication is also available outside of normal opening hours, i.e. during the night, at weekends and on public holidays. In each area of a town or city, several pharmacies work together to provide emergency services on different days. The quickest way to find out which pharmacy in your local area is providing emergency service is to check online. It is recommended that you call the emergency pharmacy in advance and ask whether the medication you need is available. This may save you unnecessary travelling.
A GP is typically your first point of contact for health-related questions and illnesses. GPs cover a broad range of areas and can diagnose many types of conditions. They can prescribe and issue doctor’s certificates and make referrals to specialists. GPs look after patients aged 18 and over, including all genders and types of complaint, often over a long period of time and are therefore familiar with the patient’s medical history. GPs are responsible for providing general care, i.e. they carry out health checks and vaccinations.
The website of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bremen allows you to search for doctors in Bremen and Bremerhaven. This includes both general doctors and specialists. You can also search exclusively in specific areas and regions. The website is only available in German. In urgent cases, you can also call 116 117 to find a doctor.
On the Arztsuche (doctor search) web page provided the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bremen, you can select the language you need under ‘Fremdsprachen’ (foreign languages) and see a list of the doctors who speak the language in question.