A Tyne Valley woman will be at the forefront of helping to create a better diagnosis for ADHD.

Joanne Stanton of Prudhoe has been announced as the first person in the UK to take on an ambassador role for technology to enhance ADHD diagnosis across the nation.

Celebrated Difference, a Consett-based social enterprise, named Ms Stanton as the first QbChampion for QbTest.

This is an objective tool intended to identify ADHD traits in users, accessible now to the public.

Ms Stanton said: "The QbChampion role is a creative, innovative and forward-thinking role, and I'm excited to play a key role in the ongoing development of such important technology to make sure it benefits as many people as possible."

Ms Stanton was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 51 and added: "I know only too well how mystifying, and sometimes terrifying, it is to live with an undiagnosed condition so the QbTest has the potential to make such a positive impact to the lives of thousands of people."

QbTest technology, designed by Qbtech, provides clinicians with detailed data regarding their patients' symptoms, reducing typical wait times by an average of 153 days.

It consists of a simple 20-minute online test aimed at adults between 18 and 60.

The test screens for three primary ADHD characteristics: attention, activity, and impulsivity.

"The QbTest is wonderfully sophisticated and clever technology which will be a real game changer in improving ADHD diagnosis for so many people across the UK," said Laura Forsyth, Celebrate Difference's managing director.

However, she stressed that while the test provides detailed data about people's symptoms, it is not a tool for diagnosis and should be used by clinicians to understand their patients and help with diagnosis.

Dr Tony Lloyd, chief executive of the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity, said: "The waiting lists for ADHD assessments and diagnosis in the NHS are far too long, and people need to know sooner why they may be struggling so they can start to make the necessary lifestyle changes."

The adoption of the QbTest by Celebrate Difference is poised to substantially improve the availability of ADHD screening tools across the UK and Ireland.