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2 July 2010

Smith & Nephew plc (LSE: SN, NYSE: SNN), the global medical technology business, has published its tenth annual Sustainability Report.  This gives an overview of the actions the Group took during 2009 as it continues improving the management of its economic, social and environmental impact and corporate governance programmes.

Headline achievements include:

• Provision of cost effective solutions for healthcare systems through the introduction of innovative products such as VISIONAIRE^◊ Patient Matched Instrumentation, DYONICS^◊ RF Radiofrequency System and ALLEVYN^◊ Ag
• Considerable investment in medical education, including providing product and clinical training to over 100,000 healthcare professionals around the world
• A 25% increase in direct donations to charitable and community activities to $1.9 million
• Enhancements to the Group’s global compliance programme through new personnel, world-wide employee training and certification and a refined Code of Conduct
• An increase in the amount of waste recycled to 32%, which has doubled since five years ago

We are pleased to have been included in the 2009 Dow Jones Sustainability Index (‘DJSI’) and are a member of FTSE4Good.

David Illingworth, Chief Executive of Smith & Nephew, said:

“We are proud that every day our products help to improve people’s lives and we also recognise that we have a wider responsibility to the community, the environment and society at large.

I am proud of what we have achieved during 2009.  As a leader in our markets, we believe we should continue to be one of the leaders among our peer group in sustainability.  We constantly review what and how we report.  In the coming year we will invest further resource in discussing with our stakeholders their requirements to further develop this area of our business approach.”

The full tenth annual Sustainability Report is available online at http://sustainabilityreport10.smith-nephew.com or via Smith & Nephew’s corporate website http://www.smith-nephew.com/.

To comment on the Report, please email Smith & Nephew at phil.cowdy@smith-nephew.com.  We value stakeholder opinion and are interested in feedback.

Smith & Nephew is a global medical technology business with global leadership positions in Orthopaedics; including Reconstruction, Trauma and Clinical Therapies; Sports Medicine; and Advanced Wound Management.

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 2009 were nearly $3.8 billion.

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.