▁of ▁Public ▁Policy ▁in ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁South ▁Wales , ▁uses ▁the ▁decl ine ▁of ▁the ▁tea ▁lady ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁" manager ial ▁sol ips ism ": ▁they ▁provided ▁civil ▁servants ▁with ▁depend able ▁" pattern s ▁of ▁civil ised ▁soci ability " ▁at ▁" sign ific ant ▁econom ies ▁of ▁scale ", ▁but ▁" they ▁just ▁f aded ▁away , ▁as ▁depart ments ▁searched ▁for ▁easy ▁ways ▁of ▁making ▁sav ings ". ▁ ▁Current ▁role ▁Te a ▁ladies ▁still ▁exist ▁in ▁the ▁National ▁Health ▁Service ▁( N HS ) ▁though ▁the ▁job ▁of ▁tea ▁att endant ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁restricted ▁to ▁women ▁workers . ▁Some ▁hospital ▁tea ▁t rolle ys ▁are ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁Royal ▁Vol unt ary ▁Service . ▁Pat ients ▁often ▁comment ▁on ▁the ▁tea ▁ladies , ▁and ▁how ▁their ▁care ▁made ▁a ▁hospital ▁stay ▁more ▁bear able . ▁ ▁Media ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁past ▁they ▁were ▁often ▁used ▁as ▁s tere ot yp ical ▁figures ▁in ▁British ▁comedy , ▁with ▁a ▁tea ▁lady ▁usually ▁port rayed ▁as ▁a ▁har ass ed , ▁over weight , ▁middle ▁aged ▁woman ▁in ▁a ▁uniform ▁and ▁cap , ▁or ▁as ▁a ▁very ▁pretty ▁recip ient ▁of ▁all ▁sorts ▁of ▁le wd ▁comments ▁from ▁the ▁work force , ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁Car ry ▁On ▁at ▁Your ▁Con ven ience ▁( 1 9 7 1 ). ▁ ▁In ▁Australia , ▁a ▁sit com ▁called ▁The ▁Te a ▁Lad ies ▁a ired ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁ ▁Te a