The health secretary, Patricia Hewitt, has been criticised for suggesting that some Muslim GPs fail to respect the confidentiality of Muslim women who visit them.
Ms Hewitt said women feared talking about issues such as domestic violence and sexual health problems in case their details were shared among "close-knit" communities.
But one GP in Ms Hewitt's constituency accused her of being "out of touch".
A report in GPs' magazine Pulse said Ms Hewitt had first raised the issue in a lecture to the Fabian Society in London.
In an interview with Pulse, she expanded on her comments, saying: "I have had Muslim women give me chapter and verse on very distressing breaches of confidentiality by Muslim GPs.
"Some women patients feel they cannot trust their own GP, who knows the patient's extended families. If they go and talk to him about a very difficult situation concerning domestic violence or sexual health problems, they fear that he will share that with other members of the community. They are very close-knit communities."
Dr Prakash Chandra, chairman of the local medical committee in Newham, which has many Muslim residents, told Pulse: "It surprises me that Patricia Hewitt would make such a statement. It's highly irresponsible."
Dr Vijoy Singh, chair of Leicestershire and Rutland local medical committee, which covers Ms Hewitt's constituency, added: "No GP would break confidentiality because if they break it, they are liable to be sued. She's out of touch."
Jo Haynes, editor of Pulse, said: "These are serious accusations - failing to respect a patient's confidentiality is a severe breach of a doctor's code of conduct. It is generally something that happens very rarely. You would hope Patricia Hewitt has some firm evidence to back up her decision to single out Muslim doctors in this way.
"It's worth bearing in mind that Muslims are hardly alone in living in close-knit communities, and doctors are generally very good at separating their personal and professional lives."
A spokeswoman for the General Medical Council (GMC), which investigates complaints against doctors, said: "Every patient has a right to expect that information about them will be held in confidence by their doctors. Without assurances about confidentiality, patients may be reluctant to give doctors the information they need in order to provide good care.
"The GMC is aware that some groups of patients may have added concerns about the confidentiality of their personal information. For example, anxiety about confidentiality is the biggest deterrent to young people seeking health advice.
"All doctors, regardless of whom they are treating or the community in which they live, must follow GMC guidance."
A spokeswoman for the British Medical Association (BMA) said: "All patients, from whatever ethnic group, have the right to expect confidentiality from their doctors. Breaching confidentiality is extremely serious and any doctor who does this must be prepared to justify their actions to the General Medical Council.
"Doctors must deal with domestic violence very sensitively and encourage their patients to seek help. The BMA has detailed guidance on this issue so that doctors know what steps to take if they believe their patient's life is at risk."
