Pre-war, I believe GPs did take an interest in their referred hospitalised patients. In our town, my mother in her youth, was in service to a local GP who performed operations in the local hospital. On the eve of his morning hospital surgery attendance, he would instruct her that he would only require a round of dry toast for his breakfast. The hospital had a "full time" surgeon who, despite lacking a bedside manner, was reputed to be a brilliant surgeon and it was always said locally, "if Dr ******* could not save you, no-one could!"