ALLEVYN launch at conference

Smith & Nephew Plc
12 December 2007


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Smith & Nephew launch new ALLEVYN* product range at European Customer Conference


Product range increases capacity of healthcare professionals to minimise pain
and fight infection


Hull, (U.K), December 12 2007


The Advanced Wound Management business unit of Smith & Nephew (LSE: SN; NYSE:
SNN) launched its new ALLEVYN* product range at an exclusive conference in
London this weekend, highlighting the benefits of the new range to over 250
European healthcare professionals.

Customers from across Europe were brought together to see the newly extended and
defined ALLEVYN product range, which continues to provide the 'best path to
healing' but also now addresses the issues of pain and infection.

Following the successful launch of ALLEVYN Ag in October 2007, an additional two
new products have been added to the product range, ALLEVYN Gentle and ALLEVYN
Gentle Border. The ALLEVYN product range further expands the healthcare
professionals' capacity to help fight infection, minimise pain, maximise patient
comfort and optimise healing for patients in more situations.

Chaired by Professor Aidan Halligan, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer and
Director of Clinical Governance for the NHS and now Chief Executive Officer of
Ellison Health Ltd, the conference covered everything from understanding some of
the key issues in today's woundcare, such as quality of life and managing
infection to the science behind the ALLEVYN range and its relation to clinical
practice, as well as a full introduction to the new products in the ALLEVYN
range.  Attendees also heard from a range of clinical professionals from across
Europe on their experiences of managing wounds and removing barriers to healing
with ALLEVYN.

Professor Halligan commented on the conference, 'This conference succeeded in
reawakening the attending European Healthcare professional's collective passion
for patient care, a fundamental principle of overall successful wound care.  The
diversity of the conference included everything from authentic patient
perspectives of living with life threatening wounds, all the way to improving
quality of life in palliative care.'

Donna O'Shea from the Tissue Viability Team at Cornwall and Isle of Scilly
Primary Care Trust, said about the conference, 'Inspirational values and
personal experiences shared from and with many European colleagues made this an
exciting and interesting launch of products delivered with realism and passion.'


Enquiries

Sidonie Myers                                           Tel: [phone]
Head of Communication
Smith & Nephew Advanced Wound Management


Notes for Editors

ALLEVYN now further simplifies customer choice, by providing a new, unique and
powerful combination of benefits through each of the four product groups in its
newly defined and extended range.  ALLEVYN has now combined the proven strengths
of its triple-action ALLEVYN technology with a new level of versatility and
breadth of application.

The three new products in the range are:

ALLEVYN Ag - All the benefits of ALLEVYN, with the addition of anti-microbial
silver for use on wounds with suspected infection or infected wounds treated as
per local protocol.

ALLEVYN Gentle Border - All the benefits of ALLEVYN with the addition of a
silicone gel adhesive for use on patients with fragile skin where secondary
retention is not used.

ALLEVYN Gentle - All the benefits of ALLEVYN with the addition of a soft gel
adhesive for use on patients with fragile skin when secondary retention is
required


About Smith & Nephew

Smith & Nephew Advanced Wound Management is headquartered in the United Kingdom.
The organisation has manufacturing centres in the United Kingdom and Largo, FL.

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business, specialising in
Orthopaedic Reconstruction, Orthopaedic Trauma and Clinical Therapies, Endoscopy
and Advanced Wound Management products.  Smith & Nephew is a global leader in
arthroscopy and advanced wound management and is one of the leading global
orthopaedics companies.

Smith & Nephew is dedicated to helping improve people's lives.  The Company
prides itself on the strength of its relationships with its surgeons and
professional healthcare customers, with whom its name is synonymous with high
standards of performance, innovation and trust.  The Company operates in 32
countries around the world.  Annual sales in 2006 were nearly $2.8 billion.



Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain 'forward-looking statements' within the
meaning of the US Private

Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, statements regarding
expected revenue growth and trading margins discussed under 'Outlook' are
forward-looking statements as are discussions of our product pipeline. These
statements, as well as the phrases 'aim', 'plan', 'intend', 'anticipate',
'well-placed', 'believe', 'estimate', 'expect', 'target', 'consider' and similar
expressions, are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other important factors (including, but not limited to, the outcome of
litigation, claims and regulatory approvals) that could cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of Smith & Nephew, or industry results, to
differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. Please refer to the documents
that Smith & Nephew has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Smith &
Nephew's most recent annual report on Form 20F, for a discussion of certain of
these factors.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information
available to Smith & Nephew as of the date hereof. All written or oral
forward-looking statements attributable to Smith & Nephew or any person acting
on behalf of Smith & Nephew are expressly qualified in their entirety by the
foregoing. Smith & Nephew does not undertake any obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Smith &
Nephew's expectation with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or
circumstances on which any such statement is based.


* Trademark of Smith & Nephew. Certain marks registered US Patent and Trademark
Office.


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