Terminally-ill patients need better access to care across Scotland, an independent investigation has said.
Audit Scotland's report on palliative care said there was an "inconsistent" approach for different illnesses.
Its findings said 90% of specialist care was delivered to cancer patients, although the disease accounted for fewer than 30% of deaths.
Scottish ministers said the report would help deliver further improvements in the area.
The Audit Scotland report said the availability of specialist care varied significantly across Scotland, and pointed 'Kill Crayfish on sight' appeal ...
Glasgow by-election polls close ... out that remote communities were served less well than those in Central Scotland.
And it concluded that people with other conditions, such as organ or respiratory failure or dementia, may have complex palliative care needs but were less likely to get specialist palliative care.
'Serious challenge'
Pointing out that more than 55,000 people died in Scotland each year, deputy auditor general Caroline Gardner, said: "Palliative care should be an integral part of the support given to patients and their families and carers during the last months, days and hours of their lives.
"In many areas of Scotland, the voluntary sector and the health service provide excellent and much appreciated care. But access to good quality palliative care varies across the country."
The report went on to warn that generalists involved in palliative care needed the support and guidance of specialists, and that good practice guidelines for palliative care were not being applied across the board.
The report was welcomed by the cancer charities Marie Curie and Macmillan, which said the findings showed a national strategy was vital.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said the report would "provide further momentum in our efforts to deliver improvements in palliative and end of life care services".
Labour said it would "seriously challenge" the SNP to build on progress already made, while Conservative public health spokesman, Jackson Carlaw said the government and health boards had to act to ensure a uniform approach.
Although the full cost of providing palliative care is unknown, Audit Scotland said about Ј59m was spent on specialist care in 2006-07 - with almost half the money coming from the voluntary sector.
(BBC)
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