116117 across four Italian regions: care hours and Sicily’s technical trial
For a non-urgent healthcare request, the same number does not necessarily mean identical organisation: regional 116117 pages distinguish opening hours and service pathways.[1][2][4]
This round-up covers Lombardy, Tuscany, Calabria and Sicily, without presenting every service as new today.[1][2][4]
Emergencies should use the 112 or 118 channels, not the non-urgent care pathway.[1][3][4]
## North — Lombardy: evening hours matter
The regional page, updated August 31, 2026, identifies 116117 as the contact for out-of-hours care and tourist medical services throughout Lombardy.[1]
It lists Monday to Friday from 8pm to 8am, with 24-hour coverage on public holidays and days before public holidays.[1]
Callers are connected to a doctor or qualified operator who assesses whether to answer directly or transfer the request to the appropriate service.[1]
These are the region’s stated service hours: we do not replace them with a generic promise that every service is always available.[1]
## Centre — Tuscany: free calls do not mean every appointment is free
Tuscany’s 116117 page states that calls from landlines and mobiles are free and that interpreting is available in twenty languages.[2]
For out-of-hours care it lists weekdays from 8pm to 8am, weekends from 8am Saturday to 8am Monday and specific periods around midweek public holidays.[2]
The separate out-of-hours care page distinguishes free care for residents or people registered for healthcare in Tuscany from the contribution payable by people who are neither residents nor registered there.[3]
Before equating a free number with every medical visit being free, callers should therefore check their eligibility position.[2][3]
## South — Calabria: the launch dates back to July
On July 24, Azienda Zero announced a July 28 start for the non-urgent care number, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.[4]
The announcement describes a phased launch: initially focused mainly on out-of-hours care, with other functions added progressively.[4]
That is the service’s original timetable, not a new November 12 launch or an editorial test of response times.[4]
## Islands — Sicily: a simulation does not establish a full launch
In an article published at 3:15pm Italian time on November 12, ilSicilia reports that a trial was scheduled for noon at the Palermo–Trapani 118 operations centre at ARNAS Civico.[5]
The same source describes an initial technical step and says aspects of clinical supervision still require confirmation.[5]
We did not locate the original instruction cited: the news remains attributed to the local outlet and is not presented as official confirmation of a fully operational public service.
The practical comparison is straightforward: check your own region’s page, distinguish telephone guidance from a medical service, and do not treat a trial announcement as a guarantee that a complete service is already available. This contact guide provides no diagnoses and does not replace healthcare professionals’ advice.
## Sources
[1] https://www.regione.lombardia.it/sanita/prenotazioni-e-tempi-d-attesa/numero-europeo-armonizzato-116-117 — Regione Lombardia: 116117
[2] https://www.regione.toscana.it/numero-unico-europeo-per-le-cure-non-urgenti-116117 — Regione Toscana: 116117
[3] https://www.regione.toscana.it/-/servizio-di-continuit-assistenziale-guardia-medica — Regione Toscana: continuita assistenziale
[4] https://aziendazero.regione.calabria.it/?p=4908 — Azienda Zero Calabria: 116117
[5] https://ilsicilia.it/116117-prima-simulazione-in-sicilia-cosa-manca-allattivazione — ilSicilia: simulazione 116117