It hit controversy when an RAF sergeant was asked to leave the waiting room in case his uniform upset other patients. It admitted breaching a patient's human rights when it placed a "do not resuscitate" (DNR) order on the patients notes because the patient had learning difficulties. The trust had not consulted the family about the decision. In 2016 the Trust saw improvements in its annual Patient-Led Assessment in Care Environments audits, which were introduced nationally in 2013. All hospitals, hospices and day treatment centres that give NHS-funded care are subject to a PLACE inspection. In April 2016 it admitted that it could not cope with the overwhelming demand on its ophthalmology department, which saw nearly 100,000 patients in 2015/6. 7000 were in need of follow-up and at risk of deteriorating eyesight. In October 2017 after months of very poor performance against the A&E four hour target it was clearly the worst performing trust in England on A&E in 2017-18, with around 30%t of patients waiting over four hours. The Chair of the trust, Nikki Cole, resigned and was replaced by Peter Carter. In 2017-18 East Kent Hospitals saw 74.3% of A&E patients within four hours. In August 2018 it announced that planned orthopaedic operations would be moved from the William Harvey Hospital to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital in an attempt to avoid cancellations. In 2018 it had 214 estates and facilities related incidents. It runs more than 100 buildings, some of which date back to the 1930s, and appealed for £34 million in emergency capital funding in January 2019. The trust commissioned 28 beds from a residential home, Ami Lodge in Deal, Kent, to support patients medically fit to leave hospital but not able to return to their own home. It was forced to abandon the scheme when the Care Quality Commission rated the home "inadequate" in November 2018. In 2020 the "BBC" found 7 cases of babies either stillborn or who died shortly after birth since 2016, these cases should have been prevented with better care. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists found in 2015, consultants, failing to do labour ward rounds, failing to review women, make care plans or attend out of hours when asked, consultants, rarely did CTG training, and reportedly were, "doing their own thing rather than follow guidelines" Staff alleged at the review, the board did not consider maternity services a priority and no action would be taken over concerns raised. In 2014 the trust was put into special measures after Care Quality Commission rated its care, including maternity care inadequate.