SEVEN of Australia's 10 worst-performing hospital emergency departments are in NSW, and the state has none of the top performers, the first National Health Performance Authority report into waiting times shows.

Doctors say failure to meet national targets risks lives and hits the sickest patients.

The report shows NSW hospitals have consistently failed to meet national targets (ensuring the majority of emergency patients are moved or discharged in four hours), meaning the state is likely to miss $15.9 million in federal funding.

The president of the NSW Australian Medical Association, Brian Owler, said the failure was not just inconvenient; it was putting patients at risk.

"The number of complications and problems people experience is related to how long they spend in the emergency department," he said. "They need to be moved to an appropriate bed and given appropriate care … no-one can argue that having patients wallowing in emergency is giving them the best care".