MB ChB St Andrews 1955; FRCS Edin 1962; ChM Dundee 1969.
Griffiths received his medical education at St Andrews before undergoing training in orthopaedics at Glasgow University. He spent a year as honorary consultant in the orthopaedic unit in Nairobi before being appointed consultant surgeon to Salford Royal Hospital and Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in 1968. Griffiths pioneered a day surgery service to reduce waiting lists. Griffiths was particularly interested in orthopaedic appliances and worked closely with Salford University aeronautical and engineering departments and was involved in the national training programme for technicians. He was appointed visiting professor in the department of orthopaedic mechanics at Salford University in 1982. John was secretary and chairman of the British Orthopaedic Association. He died suddenly on 30 January 1983 aged fifty one.