Very long waits of more than 12 hours in A&E among elderly people have more than doubled in two years, figures show.

Data from NHS Digital shows a huge jump in the number of long waits among those aged 70 and over - from 34,088 in 2013/14 to 88,252 in 2015/16.

Among all ages, there were 185,017 waits of 12 hours or more in 2015/16 - up from 157,895 the year before and 87,213 in 2013/14.

Of the waits in 2015/16, 56,013 were for people over the age of 80.

The figures come as a leaked memo shows NHS England was warned that patients were at risk of being harmed at a Worcestershire hospital where two patients died on trolleys.

An investigation has been launched into the deaths at Worcestershire Royal's A&E department.

Chris Moulton, vice president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said of the data: "These figures demonstrate that we don't have enough acute hospital beds or enough social care for a growing and ageing population.

"These elderly people are on trolleys, waiting for a bed.

"These figures are from the time people arrive at A&E and show just how bad things are."

A memo leaked to the Health Service Journal (HSJ) shows that NHS England held a patient risk summit in Worcestershire 10 days before the two patients died.

The summit was held due to concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) over care at the hospital.

The message to trust staff said summit attendees recognised "we are facing a crisis as our bed occupancy is too high - often over 100 per cent - and this needs to be reduced.

"Despite our best efforts, patients are waiting too long in corridors, putting them at risk of harm, and we know this is of real concern to our staff."

The trust said it could not conclude whether there was a link between the deaths and the bed space pressures until an investigation had been carried out.

On Monday, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt suggested he might alter the four-hour target for patients to be dealt with in A&E, saying it should only apply to the most urgent cases.

Hospitals have not hit the target nationally since summer 2015.