That’s what August in Switzerland is like: half the population is on holiday, doctors included. And if you have an infection that can’t wait, a child with a fever at 8 pm, or something that isn’t an ambulance emergency but can’t wait until next week either, it’s worth knowing how the system works before you need it.
In Switzerland, when the GP is unavailable, the solution is known as a ‘médecin de piquet’ in French-speaking Switzerland, or a ‘Notfallarzt’ in the German-speaking part of the country. It is a system organised at cantonal level: local doctors take turns on a rotating on-call rota to deal with cases that do not require hospital A&E treatment. The quickest way to find out who is on duty is to check the website of your cantonal health authority, which usually publishes the up-to-date on-call number. Many LAMal insurers also include a 24-hour nursing advice line as part of their basic policy, which can help you assess whether your condition requires immediate attention or can wait.
It is worth noting in advance that a consultation outside normal opening hours, particularly at night or at the weekend, incurs an additional charge. The LAMal covers essential medical costs, but this out-of-hours surcharge can amount to between 20 and 50 francs, which the patient must pay if they have not yet used up their annual excess. It’s not a huge amount, but it comes as a surprise to anyone who isn’t aware of it. For genuine emergencies requiring an ambulance: 144. For mountain rescue: 1414. For everything else, make a note of your canton’s out-of-hours number now, whilst you don’t need it yet.