Świecie Hospital Champions Modern Psychiatry | Województwo Kujawsko-Pomorskie

The Region Mental Health Hospital in Świecie is one of the oldest psychiatric hospitals in Poland. Combining more than a century of tradition with a modern approach to treatment, it now offers patients innovative therapies, state-of-the-art therapeutic facilities, and a welcoming environment designed to support recovery.

“The hospital in Świecie is an excellent example of what modern psychiatry should look like,” says Marshal Piotr Całbecki. “Its modern infrastructure, innovative therapies, and highly qualified staff ensure that patients feel safe and receive care that meets the highest professional standards.”

A Therapy Centre of European Standard

The hospital’s greatest achievement is its recently completed expansion project, valued at more than PLN 35 million. Thanks to this investment, the nineteenth-century hospital complex has been transformed with a modern therapy centre focused on art and nature-based treatment.

Patients now have access to:

an art therapy studio where they can express emotions through creative activities;
an orangery, winter garden, and horticultural therapy workshops using gardening as a therapeutic tool;
a revitalised park covering nearly one hectare, providing an ideal setting for relaxation and outdoor activities.

The project also included the comprehensive redevelopment of previously unused buildings within the historic hospital complex. These have been converted into modern medical and therapeutic facilities, including a day psychiatric ward and a community mental healthcare unit. The newly designed spaces include outpatient clinics, consulting rooms, therapy and relaxation rooms, a dental surgery, and an entire wing dedicated to postgraduate medical training.

Another unique initiative is the contemporary art gallery “Wylało mi się” (“It Poured Out of Me”), the first professional exhibition space of its kind located within a psychiatric hospital in Poland.

Technology Supporting Mental Health

The hospital is committed to developing the “psychiatry of the future.” Working with leading medical research institutions, it develops innovative treatment methods and participates in international mental health research projects. Among its flagship initiatives are:

Mindscape – patients use virtual reality headsets to take immersive walks through forest environments. The therapy helps reduce stress and anxiety, improves mood, and supports concentration.
Neuroharmony – a project combining science with nature, offering phototherapy, music therapy, deep infrared therapy, and hydrogen generators that support the body’s regenerative processes.
Digital Biomarkers – specialists from the Świecie hospital and researchers from Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology are developing a mobile application that will monitor patients’ daily health status and help predict episodes of bipolar disorder.

In cooperation with universities in Bydgoszcz and research centres across Europe, the hospital’s physicians are also involved in international projects exploring new treatments for mental disorders and cancer prevention among people experiencing mental health crises.

A Child-Friendly Environment

The hospital’s children’s ward also underwent a major transformation. Following a complete refurbishment in 2024, it bears little resemblance to a traditional hospital. Instead of stark white corridors, young patients now benefit from comfortable rooms, dedicated music and relaxation spaces, and modern educational facilities.

The Region Mental Health Hospital in Świecie provides comprehensive treatment for people living with mental health disorders and addictions. The hospital has 480 inpatient beds across 16 wards. It also operates an Addiction Treatment Clinic offering psychotherapy for people with addictions, their family members, and individuals affected by co-dependency.

To mark the hospital’s 170th anniversary last year, it published Many Voices, a collection of poetry written by patients and staff.

The hospital has undergone continuous, comprehensive modernisation over many years. Every pavilion has been renovated, alongside the kitchen, utility networks, administrative and technical buildings, energy systems, and medical equipment. These investments have been financed through successive regional programmes and the regional government’s Medical Centennial Package – the Marshal’s flagship programme for the modernisation of all regional hospitals.

The Kujawsko-Pomorskie regional self-government is responsible for seven hospitals: