"The whole thing was done without once considering the individual"

I recently came to the conclusion that I have ADHD so went to my GP to ask for a referral for an adult assessment. I was realistic that I would have a lengthy wait for assessment but I was not ready to deal with the set of requirements that would need to be met in order to even have a referral. I was told I would need to engage in CBT and mindfulness, exercise vigorously 3-4 times a week, engage in excellent sleep hygiene and abstain from alcohol and caffeine as well as recreational drugs. All of this for 6 months before a referral could even be made (with no guarantee it would be accepted).

This didn't seem to take into account that I have had significant mental health issues in my life (perhaps because of undiagnosed ADHD?) so already use CBT and mindfulness strategies that I have picked up in my life, that I have chronic pain which causes significant issues with exercise, that I already have good sleep hygiene and was not reporting any issues with sleep, that caffeine is shown to help people with (unmedicated) ADHD and that my alcohol consumption is small. The whole thing was done without once considering the individual.

I was also asked to provide evidence that my issues were present before the age of 12 - at 41 without school reports, what can I possibly give that will satisfy the people who manage the list?

I have since spoken to other adults in my area who are seeking an ADHD assessment and they have been told the same. I feel that the list of things we are being asked to do is completely unmanageable for most people with ADHD, certainly without significant support, so it seems to me like an exercise in managing the waiting list by making it impossible for people to meet the requirements to get onto it. It feels like we are being held to a higher standard of living than other people in order to be able to gain help and support for what we need in life.

I am sure there is no official policy that says this, but that doesn't help those of us who are unable to get assessments. Without an assessment I cannot get a diagnosis and without a diagnosis I have no access to the medication which is the recommended treatment for people with ADHD.