Visitors to the hospitals had mixed opinions about the issue.
Sean Elstob, who was outside Hull Royal, said: “It’s disgusting. It’s not very pleasant to walk through.
“In terms of the hanging around the entrances, you have to kind of walk through a cloud of smoke and vaping.”
Mandy Wood, a former smoker, said she people should not smoke for the sake of their health, but it was “their choice”.
“They’ve nowhere else to go and if they’re smokers, you can’t just take the people’s rights away,” she said.
“I don’t like to see it, I think they should have a designated area.”
At the Grimsby hospital, Christian Wiltshire also suggested an area could be created for smokers away from the entrance.
“It does create an unpleasant sort of smell and all the bins are overflowing with the cigarette butts,” he added. “It’s not pleasant, but I understand they need it.”