FORM 6-K

                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION


                            WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                       Report of Foreign Private Issuer
                       Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16
                       of the Securities Exchange Act of
                                     1934


                                 June 7, 2002


                              SMITH & NEPHEW plc
                              (Registrant's name)


                                  Heron House
                                15 Adam Street
                            London, England WCN 6LA
             (Address of registrant's principal executive offices)


     [Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.]

              Form 20-F     X           Form 40-F
                         -------                  ------

     [Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing information to
the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2 (b) under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934.]

              Yes                        No    X
                  ------                     ------

     If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the
registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82- n/a.



                                            Total Pages: 2



6 June 2002


The Secretary
London Stock Exchange
RNS
Old Broad Street
London
EC2N 1HP


Dear Sirs,

Smith & Nephew plc has been informed today that Mourant & Co. Trustees
Limited, as trustee of The Smith & Nephew Employees' Share Trust has purchased
a total of 300,450 ordinary shares in the Company in the market on the 5th
June 2002 at an average price of 384.22 pence per share, representing 0.03% of
the issued ordinary share capital.

The Trust, which now holds a total of 1,219,621 shares representing 0.13% of
the issued ordinary share capital of the Company, is a discretionary trust of
which all employees of the Company and its subsidiaries are potential
beneficiaries. Each of the executive directors of the Company is, therefore,
interested in the shares held in the Trust from time to time in the same way
as other employees of the Group.

Yours faithfully,





P.R. Chambers
Company Secretary