Professor Gaffney is a consultant Rheumatologist and research lead at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, as well as being an Honorary Professor and co-chair of the British Society for Spondyloarthritis (BRITSpA). Karl received a gold award for his tireless drive in taking forward the NASS campaign to drive down diagnostic delay and remains a member of the project board.

• He has clinically led the Act on axial SpA campaign, helping to define the Gold Standard, develop the solutions and advise on project roll out.
• He has presented across the UK and internationally on axial SpA for years and has embedded the key campaign messages into these presentations whilst making repeated calls to action to rheumatology clinics.
• He has been a driving force in improving data around diagnostic delay both as the axial SpA lead for the National Early Inflammatory Arthritis (NEIA) audit and by conducting large clinical research into the delay to diagnosis.
• He has authored a large range of papers (over 200 in total) on diagnostic delay including the unmet need in primary care, the prevalence in key extra musculoskeletal manifestations (EMMs) and UK time to diagnosis.
• Locally he has developed primary care and secondary care referral pathways for axial SpA including the establishment of joint multi disciplinary clinics with dermatology, gastroenterology and ophthalmology.