🇬🇧 UK Jul 2, 2026 · Tom Pollard

A cup of tea can determine whether people get the help they need

New Statesman UK
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During a shift in an NHS mental health crisis team, I’m visiting a woman who’s been feeling suicidal. She tentatively welcomes me into her flat and asks if I’d like a cup of tea. I’ve got multiple visits to make and I want to get started, so I politely decline. 



She looks a little disappointed and asks if I’m sure. I sense it’s important to her, and I do quite fancy a cup of tea), so I relent and accept her offer. In that moment, the dynamic of our interaction shifts in a subtle but vital way

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