Information on hospital and doctors in Renningen/Stuttgart

Hallo everyone,

it is my third month in Germany. Most of the necessaries are settled, thanks to the help I get from this forum.

I have a small family. I have been trying to find information on hospital and doctors just in case. I know you can call 112 in emergency, but I can't find much information on normal cases. I am publicly insured. I have a very hard time finding any information on:

* Could I go any hospital and get help? or there is specific one assigned the the area I live? which are the big/common hospitals in Renningen/Stuttgart area.

* Since I was asked to find a pediatrician for my daughter. Where can I start to look?  how normally do people approach the doctors?

Any comments are appreciated. It's quite desperate that I can't figure them out, even when they are some of the most basic needs.

Thanks again!

You need to find a general practitioner to be your normal doctor or Hausarzt. Best to find someone conveniently located to where you live or work. Maybe someone you know can recommend one. Otherwise, look in the internet for ones listed close by and then visit the offices to get an impression. To see specialists, or usually to get an operation or something done in the hospital other than an emergency, one must  first get a referral from their normal doctor. In an emergency, the first responders will deliver you to the nearest place that can offer appropriate services. From there one might be transferred to another facility if medically needed. Thus, one doesn't really need to know many specifics about the various hospitals. Some specialized clinics (generally not for emergencies) might only take privately insured patients. Otherwise, all hospitals take the publicly insure (which is 90% of the German population). For pediatricians, I would suggest asking the parents of your child's friends or classmates for recommendations. For specific advice about any hospitals or clinics one would ask their family physician.

Great thanks, Tom. You are awesome and most helpful.

You mean there are doctors that work in the town separately instead of in a hospital? I have no idea.

What do the doctors get in return if they agree to be my family doctor?  I mean no one would want extra work if I just show up and ask that.

Thanks again!

Most doctors in Germany have their own, private clinic. They are basically self-employed and live off the fees they charge to your insurance when you visit them. Thus they are usually willing to take on more patients. Just call and ask!
A portal to find doctors (with customer ratings) is jameda.de, but it's only in German. Most doctors do speak English, though.
For emergencies, you should also find out (e.g. ask your neighbours) and memorize the hospitals with A&E in your area.

Yes, most doctors work in their own practice, not in a hospital – although many will also have hospital privileges. The doctors aren't doing you a favor per se, they get paid through the insurance every time you visit. Since you are publicly insured, you just show your insurance card and any billing is done between the doctor and the insurance. Theoretically, one can always just show up at a general practitioner and get seen. Finding one you go to regularly, even if just once a year, establishes a relationship. Then you can get any medical records to them and they know your medical history and situation.  This is preferable to having a doctor who doesn't know you at all. I don't know about Renningen but there are many physicians in Stuttgart. A general practitioner is called an Arzt für Allgemeinmedizin. Just Google it for your location and figure out which ones are closest to you. The Google results should show the address and visiting hours. Also the website www.jameda.de will list doctors by specialty and location.

Hi...just had a query.In case of emergency in Stuttgart (Emergency number,112 ),will the first responders also facilitate with an ambulance and actually take the patient to the recommended nearby hospital or shall the patient have to arrange to go  the recommended hospital(as referred by the emergency responders) by himself or herself?

In case of a real emergency, an ambulance will be dispatched to take you to hospital.

Nikhat13 wrote:

Hi...just had a query.In case of emergency in Stuttgart (Emergency number,112 ),will the first responders also facilitate with an ambulance and actually take the patient to the recommended nearby hospital or shall the patient have to arrange to go  the recommended hospital(as referred by the emergency responders) by himself or herself?


Ambulances come when called. If you need to be taken to the hospital then they do it - depending on necessity.  If something turns out to be minor without need for a trip to the hospital, then not. Is it different anywhere in the world? Calling for no reason or something that is obviously very minor is troublesome and could result in one getting charged the full amount or even face legal charges. Otherwise, emergency services prefer one to error on the side of caution. Yet one cannot expect them to act like a taxi service; say taking one to a doctor's appointment without medical necessity.  Ambulance transport in emergencies is covered by public health insurance with a 10 Euro co-pay.