A one-year old baby with a rare genetic condition will have to wait more than five months for an operation on the NHS, her mum claims.

Rowanna Cookson, one, suffers from a rare genetic disorder called CTNNB1 which means her stomach doesn't allow her to eat normally and that her muscles are weak.

She is only one of 500 people in the world with the disorder and when she was seven months old, her mum Amy Cookson, 36, was told Rowanna would need an operation.

Rowanna is fed through a tube through her nose which has the risk of the liquid going into her lungs but the surgery will allow her to be fed straight to her stomach.

But Amy said that although Rowanna was assessed for the operation in December and was told she could have it in a couple of weeks, she still hasn't had the surgery.

Now Amy, who is Rowanna's full time carer, has said that she 'doesn't blame the nurses' but instead 'blames the people in charge.'

Amy said: "I don’t blame the nurses, they are great and think she needs the operation.

"I blame the people in charge, the system, and Government policies.

"Its not working. Most recently, they’ve blamed the junior doctors strike. But she was referred on December 5 and saw a consultant in February.

"I’ve signed the consent forms and pre-op. We want the operation as soon as possible.

"Rowanna deserves to be fed properly and safely, it’s as simple as that. Rowanna has a lifetime of disability ahead of her.

"The least we can do is get her fed comfortably and safely."

She is due to have the operation in May at Sheffield Children’s Hospital but Amy said it wouldn't surprise her if that got cancelled as well.

Meanwhile the tube in her nose causes discomfort and she sometimes pulls it out.

But despite all of this, she has still said that Rowanna is 'so smiley' and that 'everyone says how happy and smiley she is.'