Should I ask the NHS to remove a link to my client`s site?

Selected answers from the Dumb SEO Questions Facebook & G+ community.

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  Katarzyna Bigda: Hello lovely people - I would like to know your opinion about the links coming from syndicated content. Theoretically syndication shouldn't harm my client's site but it's not him syndicating it, so I would like to check just in case, as they are very worried and would like to have them removed and I am not too keen on them neither, as they look like quite dodgy. NHS.uk syndicates content to literally dozens of websites and they all link to my clients site from What Are My Rights tab, see example: bit (dot) ly/1kyYQra and bit (dot) ly/1jt9orA . I was thinking about a) asking NHS to remove that link from the site = removal from syndicated pages - they are willing to do that b) 404 landing page. ; I am not worried about loosing link from NHS, as they are also linking to my client from other pages. What are your thoughts?
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  eBizWebpages: I would suggest letting the links stay and just no follow tag them at the source. That way the client retains the benefit of any referral traffic and Google won't consider them as a factor for any kind of positive or negative action.
  
  - Eric W.
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  Katarzyna Bigda: Have tried that, but NHS said that they cannot put "no follow"on them, they can only remove it :(
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  eBizWebpages: Wow. Either the person who told you that is incompetent or just outright lied to you. If they can type in the URL, and they can because otherwise that link wouldn't be there, then they can add the nofollow tag right after the URL no matter what CMS system they're using.
  
  I don't really think you have to worry about it dinging your client with any kind of duplicate content penalty simply because it's not included in any kind of spammy content. Here's a video explaining that by Matt Cutts himself - ; http://searchengineland.com/googles-matt-cutts-duplicate-content-wont-hurt-you-unless-it-is-spammy-167459
  
  I would at least attempt to educate somebody over there about how to make it a no follow link. If they won't listen or can't be bothered with it then maybe tell them the URL has changed and send the same one over again with the no follow tag included. I bet they would just copy and paste it right in without even noticing it went to the same page.
  
  Or just let it go as is and it'll be fine.
  
  - Eric W.
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  Katarzyna Bigda: Hi Eric, thanks again for your help and time spent on my case:) It took me 2 months to get an email back from them about the no follow suggestion so educating may just find a dead end and they decide not to help us at all. I was also surprised about that no follow answer(!), but didn't want to sound patrimonial, especially that they have offered the removal, what at least puts my client's mind in peace and shouldn't impact anything negatively. It's not the duplicated copy what worries me and my client the most, but the amount of links (at least 80 domains with the same copy) from these domains. I have to action it in some way, cannot leave it on this stage. There were around 8 visits per year from these domains so nothing to worry it terms of lost traffic if we do 404 or ask them to remove it. I am just curious how harmful these syndicated links may be. :)
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  Jim Munro: Hi +Katarzyna Bigda ;:)
  
  Please disable the shortened urls like this: ;http://bit(dot)ly/1kyYQra
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  Ian Dixon: Neither of your links actually work +Katarzyna Bigda ;so I fail to see where the the problem is. ;
  They seem to be from pharmacies and you talk about inbound links from nhs(dot)uk
  Err wouldnt a link from the NHS to a pharmacy actually be a a good thing?
  Why do you see links fron nhs(dot)uk as a problem?
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  Katarzyna Bigda: Sorry for the shortened links, they were so long I didn't want them to take up all post. Theoretically NHS link is fantastic I agree, and have been glad to see it, but.. After realising that NHS is syndicating content to almost hundred (if not more) low quality pharmacy sites (duplicated content on each of them with no canonical tag or no "no follow" on these duplicated links ) and this net is linking to my client I had a mixed feelings. It looks like same kind of spammy network if you look at that from a side. Having a few less suspicious links links from NHS anyway I have 404 the landing page and asked NHS to remove the link from a source, what should trigger removal from the other sites. It shouldn't negatively impact my site and I prefer to be safe than sorry. Thank you for your help:) 
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  Jim Munro: That's OK, Katarzyna. If you would just disable the shortened links by replacing the dot with (dot), that would be great. :)
  
  BTW They were not progressing a little while ago. Is the site OK?
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  Katarzyna Bigda: Hi Jim, they work for me - but please let me know if you have ; problem accessing the sites, I have around 80 examples to choose from:) PS. links disabled:)
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  Terry Simmonds: they are nofollowed in the 1st one anyway
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  Terry Simmonds: In fact both examples given are nofollowed see the head of the pages not the links.