I think that the breath of life spell is a good step in the direction of close wounds/delay death/revivify. These spells lower the disruption that death and level loss have on the game and the 'penalty' that formerly-dead characters carry thereafter. However, I think it doesn't go quite far enough. Note James Jacobs' cure mortal wounds spell, which I've copied below. Two key changes are these:
* it can be cast within 1 minute of death, which means the cleric doesn't have to drop everything to rush over to the dead character, only to be foiled by his 20' speed and not do any good anyway.
* it is a cure spell, and so clerics can swap out for it as needed without having to keep a load of breath of life spells memorized. Note that with this rule, clerics can elect to swap a 5th level slot for either cure mortal wounds or mass cure light wounds.
Note that Cure mortal wounds could also be a druid spell of a higher level (such as sixth or seventh level).
Cure Mortal Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) or Will half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) or Yes; see text
This spell cures 5d8 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +25).
Unlike other cure spells, cure mortal wounds can bring recently slain creatures back to life. If cast upon a creature that has been reduced to –10 or fewer hit points within the last minute, apply the healing from this spell to the creature. If this brings the creature up to –9 or fewer hit points, it comes back to life and stabilizes at its new hit point total. If the healing fails to bring the creature's hit point total up past –10 hit points, the creature remains dead (although further castings of cure mortal wounds could still save the creature, as long as its allotted minute has not passed).
Creatures slain by death effects cannot be saved by cure mortal wounds.
Cure mortal wounds deals damage to undead targeted rather than curing them.