Antibacterial wound dressing

A process for producing silvered fibres for use in antibacterial wound dressings including the steps of

• (i) forming an assembly of precursor gel-forming fibres having thereon exchangeable sites capable of exchange with silver ions to link silver ions to the fibre, and
• (ii) essentially simultaneously contacting the assembly of precursor gel-forming fibres with a solution containing silver ions under conditions which do not cause irreversible gelling of the fibres, thereby to link silver ions at exchangeable sites, in which process the whole of the assembly of precursor gel-forming fibres is contacted essentially simultaneously with the entire solution containing silver ions, rather than being contacted gradually or partially, the solution containing silver ions being used in an amount such that enough silver ions are present to link with not more than about 20% of the exchangeable sites on the precursor gel-forming fibres, wherein the distribution of silver ions over the exchangeable sites is essentially uniform as shown by the essentially uniform coloration of the dressing.