The saddest thing for me about the ending of the NLH Q&A Service is the reaction of the users. We’ve just placed a notice on the site alerting users to the ending of the service. Two comments received within 35 minutes of it the notice going live:

“I have just found this answering service through a colleague. I think it is absolutely brilliant. I have just found the answer to a question within 1 minute which would normally have taken me hours, maybe days of research. I am paid £40k p.a. so this time saving is bound to be very valuable to the NHS when multiplied by all the people who use it. Why is the service ending???”

“Hello. As an EBM practitiopner I am disappointed to read that as of June 27th the NLH Q&A Service will cease operations and be unable to answer any new questions. Could you kindly inform me of the reasons behind this decision, and what will replace this very important and I think successful primary care service. Thanks,”

I’m so proud of what we’re achieved and the fact that clinicians are prepared to contact us to express surprise and disappointment is impressive. The NLH suffers from a lack of engagement with primary care health professionals, an area that needs more support that secondary care (that has access to librarians). By removing of this key service it further hampers engagement.

Still the secondary care clinicians will still have their services…