Fewer people are dying after surgery than at any time since 1994

They said many patients were often left to die on emergency wards or surgical wards due to a lack of hospices and poor palliative care.

However, statistics showed fewer people were dying after surgery than at any time in the last 11 years.

The Scottish Audit for Surgical Mortality figures are used to highlight problems and drive up standards.

All-time low

The SASM statistics showed that one in every 5,000 patients died after surgery and one in every 20,000 patients died because of inadequate care.

The report found that the total number of deaths under surgical care in 2004 was 4,091 - the lowest recorded. More than half of these - 2,255 - were deaths following an emergency admission.

Health Minister Andy Kerr said: "I am pleased that the number of deaths in surgical care is at an all time low. "This is testament to the quality of care provided by surgeons and anaesthetists."

According to the report, orthopaedic, thoracic, and vascular surgeons showed the most unhappiness, with 20% or less of these three categories expressing satisfaction.

This is an important matter and should be addressed if all patients are to receive the best and most appropriate care possible Professor Graham Teasdale

"This year's data provides evidence that patients are not all receiving the level of palliative or end-of-life care they should expect," said the report.

"There appears to be better provision for some groups of patients than others, for example for cancer patients.

"This represents an important shortfall in care and needs to be addressed."

Professor Graham Teasdale, chairman of the SASM board, said: "As reported last year, it continues to be the case that the standard of care provided for those at or near the end of their lives is variable, with some groups of such patients receiving better care than others.