Empower pilot complete: supporting diabetes remission through psychological care 

Empower, a pioneering six-month pilot programme delivered in partnership with Xyla and the West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership has now successfully completed. Running from January to July 2025, Empower was designed to provide tailored psychological support to participants of the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission (T2DR) programme. 

A holistic approach to diabetes care 

One in three people with a long-term condition also experience mental and psychological wellbeing challenges associated with the burden of living with a long-term condition. This can significantly impact their ability to engage with treatment and self-management. 

Empower was designed to support more seamless diabetes care by offering timely access to holistic support. The programme addressed both the physical and psychological needs of individuals living with type 2 diabetes whilst on their path to remission.  

Using a light touch, short-term, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based model, Empower helped participants overcome barriers which often lead to disengagement or dropout from healthcare intervention.

What Empower offered 

Empower provided: 

• Three weekly 30-minute sessions delivered by psychological wellbeing practitioners (PWPs) 
• Flexible access via phone or video, seven days a week 
• Support tailored to individual needs, including referrals to local mental health services and signposting to community resources. 

Sessions focused on: 

• Assessing difficulties affecting engagement in the remission programme 
• Understanding the underlying causes 
• Equipping participants with tools to overcome challenges. 

Empower was designed to complement the T2DR programme and enable timely access to an appropriate psychological support for those with an identified need. Service users who need warranted a more intensive care pathway were redirected to specific talking therapy services in their local area to support their long-term needs. 

Supporting engagement and reducing dropout 

The T2DR programme involves a structured pathway: 12 weeks of total diet replacement, followed by food reintroduction and a maintenance phase. These transitions are often emotionally challenging and can lead to anxiety, disengagement or dropout, particularly for individuals struggling with motivation, self-esteem or fear of weight regain. 

Empower was introduced to provide targeted psychological support at these critical points. Early feedback suggests the programme helped participants stay engaged and reduced the likelihood of dropping out. Many reported feeling more confident, better equipped to manage setbacks, and more connected to their goals. 

“Empower was designed in recognition of the challenges encountered by people living with diabetes as they navigate daily life. The burden of living with diabetes is not to be underestimated and often people with diabetes live with other long-term conditions too.  

The impact of living with long-term conditions can be multiple medications, a constant requirement to think about one’s lifestyle and dietary choices and do so whilst still contributing to family life and work. This can be overwhelming but timely access to the right intensity of psychological support can enable people to develop the strategies they need to live well with their diabetes and experience empathy from others when life feels tough.  

The preliminary feedback from those who took part is positive; it indicates to those responsible for designing health care services for people living with diabetes there is an opportunity to prevent more significant loss of psychological wellbeing using a relatively light touch intervention i.e. right care at the right time and help people to optimise outcomes.” 

Sarah De Biase, Senior Programme Manager, West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board  

Strong uptake and growing interest 

Empower received over 200 referrals to the programme, demonstrating strong demand for additional support. With approximately 500 people on the T2DR programme in the region at any one time, this represents around one in four participants opting in. Early feedback has been positive, with case studies and participant testimonials highlighting the value of the support, which we look forward to sharing in due course. 

While full outcome analysis is ongoing, the pilot has already sparked interest from other Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) exploring ways to align with the NHS Long Term Plan’s focus on prevention and holistic care. The Empower programmes joined-up approach, bridging physical and mental health, marks a significant step forward in person-centred diabetes care. 

What’s next 

Though the pilot has now concluded, Xyla is actively engaging with stakeholders to explore future opportunities for scaling Empower. The programme’s success underscores the importance of integrated care models and the potential for psychological support to enhance clinical outcomes in diabetes remission. 

For more information, explore the Empower pages or contact the Xyla team.