The second problem is that there is very likely to be more discrimination against patients with certain diseases, as HCWs use this argument to justify their refusal to treat those diseases. The World Medical Association's Declaration of Geneva, which states the basic moral values of the medical profession, specifies that there should be no discrimination, regardless of the circumstances: "I will not permit considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, or social standing to intervene between my duty and my patient" [17] . However, the physicians' right to choose their patients is described by the same organization in another policy called "Twelve Principles of Provision of Health Care in any National Health Care System" [18] : "Any health care system should allow the patient to consult the physician of his choice, and the physician to treat only patients of his choice, without the rights of either being affected in any way." For regulations at the national level, it is generally held that if there is an urgent need for medical care [19, 20] , or if no other physician is available to whom the patient can apply [21, 22] , this right would be negated and the available physician must treat the patient. If we look at these obligations in reverse, we can see that the physician might refuse to provide health services to the patient if there is no urgent need for medical care and/or if another physician is around to whom the patient can be referred. Besides, the physician might also refuse the patient on the grounds that their prejudices may adversely affect the advice or treatment that they provide [20] . In actuality, this flexibility was written into the regulations in order to ensure that the patient receives the highest quality care possible; but as can be seen, it could also be abused. And if the presence or absence of consent is used as a criterion to define the duty to treat, in addition the existing flexibilities, then a mechanism would be created by which HCWs may freely, and perhaps excessively, discriminate among patients.