A 12-year-old girl has been left waiting for spinal surgery for more than 200 days due to a lack of ICU beds.

Stephanie Woods is waiting for surgery which is supposed to be done within 90 days.

But she needs an ICU bed after her surgery, and on two previous occasions when she was scheduled for surgery there hasn’t been one available.

It’s having a significant impact on Stephanie’s life.

“It’s painful, really painful,” Stephanie’s mum, Kylie Poppins, told Neil Mitchell.

“She’s having a bit of trouble breathing at the moment because it puts pressure on her lungs, and her neck is at an angle so she’s getting migraines, and she’s got a hump that’s developed in her back and because she’s in a wheelchair she’s getting pressure on that hump.”

Press PLAY below to hear about the situation Stephanie is in

In a statement, the Royal Childrens’ Hospital said it “empathises” with the distress preparation for surgery causes.

“Every day, our teams assess our ability to perform planned surgeries depending on the clinical priority of any emergency patients who have arrived overnight, bed availability and staffing levels,” the statement read.

“Unfortunately, some patients will have their surgeries deferred due to these effects – however it is important to prioritise care for children who have the most urgent need.”