WE all know about the challenges that the NHS is facing and nowhere are these pressures more acute than in our A and E departments.

Across the country targets are routinely being missed and the situation in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is a cause of particular concern.

The latest batch of weekly statistics (numbers the Scottish Government had to be pressed into making public) confirm that fewer patients in Glasgow are seen within four hours than in any other part of the country.

During the week ending March 1, only 78% of NHS GGC patients were seen in this period - that's against a government target of 95%. Even more concerning, 340 people had to wait more than eight hours and 102 more than 12.

Writing in this paper on Monday, Anas Sarwar highlighted exactly this problem and he was right to do so. However, as politicians - even opposition ones - I do believe we have a duty to be constructive, listen to those on the frontline and offer up practical solutions to make the situation better.

We all know the tremendous work that our doctors, nurses and paramedics undertake. Simply put, they go above and beyond their shift requirements on a daily basis and we should never tire of showing our appreciation for everything that they do.

But to function at this level they need - and deserve - our support.

In the first instance, this means listening to their advice. Last week I visited one of the country's largest A and E departments.

What the professionals there told me was that we need to think more strategically about who is admitted to A and E and how we channel their care.

We know that last year was the busiest on record for our A and E departments, with admissions up by 83,500 since 2008.

This extra demand would stretch any organisation and the NHS is no different.

So rather than use the present difficulties to score political points, the public want to hear common sense solutions to improve matters.

A good place to start would be to deepen the links between health and social care.

What the doctors told me is that if, say, on a Wednesday an elderly person presents to A and E after a fall then they can be swiftly patched up and allowed home, with extra care support organised.

If, however, that same fall takes place on a Friday then because of the deficiencies in out-of-hours care that elderly person faces a weekend on a ward when, with the right support, they could be recuperating in their own home.

By brining health and social care in closer alignment, these knock-on effects are less likely to emerge - freeing up beds and reducing workloads.

At First Minister's Questions last week, I put another idea to Nicola Sturgeon.

Each year an estimated 21,000 people turn up to A and E drunk, with no other medical care required. This clogs up the health service and as far as the Scottish Conservatives are concerned, it's not the role of our hard-pressed doctors and nurses to mop up after those who've had one too many on a Friday or Saturday night.

So we've called for special treatment centres to be created where people can be sent to sober up, without diverting resources away from the frontline. Such treatment centres work in other countries and could work in Scotland too.

Real, practical solutions to lighten the load. That is what our doctors and nurses desperately need and that is what the Scottish Conservatives are determined to offer.