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The number of patients waiting more than 12 hours in Northern Ireland's emergency departments has more than doubled in a year.

In March this year, 65,739 people attended emergency departments in Northern Ireland.

That is according to the latest figures from the Department of Health (DoH).

In the same month, the number waiting for more than 12 hours was 8,586, up from 3,487 in March 2021.

This makes up 13.1% of total attendances.

The target states that no patient should wait longer than 12 hours to be treated, discharged or admitted.

Over half of emergency attendances (52.8%) in March 2022 were discharged or admitted within 4 hours, compared with 60.1% in March 2021.

In the year to March 2022 the number of attendances at emergency departments increased by 24.7%.

The Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast reported the highest number of patients spending over 12 hours at an emergency department in March 2022 (1,817).

Six-point-one percent of all emergency department attendances in March 2022 left before their treatment was complete, compared with 3.4% in March 2021.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine Northern Ireland warned the situation "is the worst it has ever been".

"The emergency care system is continuing to deteriorate and the emergency admissions process is in crisis," its vice-president Dr Paul Kerr said.

"Emergency departments and ambulance services are overwhelmed, and this is leading to a patient safety crisis.

"Patients face long waits for an ambulance, long waits outside an emergency department, long waits in an emergency department.

"Patients in critical condition are not being seen in a timely and effective way. It is an appalling state of affairs."