'ADHD diagnosis was validating - the wait was painful'

Pascale Faiad said receiving her ADHD diagnosis had helped her - but that waiting more than six years for it had been "painful and tiring"

A woman who received her ADHD diagnosis after more than six years on a waiting list has called the delays "painful and tiring" as NHS trusts look at how they can speed up the process.

Pascale Faiad said receiving her diagnosis had been "validating", but that she wished she had found out sooner, having been one of thousands of people waiting for an ADHD assessment.

It comes as a Surrey NHS trust aims to slash its waiting list of more than 11,000 people by training private GPs to be able to perform ADHD assessments.

Speaking at a private GP clinic in Cobham, Pascale said: "I was very angry throughout the whole process."

She added: "I honestly thought I was going to be diagnosed in between six months and a year. It was a painful and tiring process.

"It felt validating to get the diagnosis and know that not all my behaviours were my own fault – I just wish it was sooner."

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects the way the brain works and can cause people to act impulsively and become easily distracted.

Pascale said that throughout her life she had struggled with impulsivity and inattentiveness.

NHS data currently shows that adults wait an average of eight years for an ADHD diagnosis once they are on a waiting list.

A BBC investigation found that a significant number of areas are restricting access to those waiting lists to deal with demand.

In a bid to cut waiting times, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust said it was beginning a scheme using specially-trained private GPs to provide ADHD assessments.

Up to 100 adults a month will receive the assessments through the GPs.

Graham Wareham, chief executive of Surrey and Borders, said: "The reality is there aren't enough consultant psychiatrists to meet the population need so we need a different model of care.

"People are waiting too long so we need to work differently to think about how we can meet people's needs sooner."