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


                                November 4, 2005

                        Commission File Number 001-14978


                               SMITH & NEPHEW plc
                               (Registrant's name)


                                 15 Adam Street
                            London, England WC2N 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 if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in
paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1).]

               Yes                            No  X
                   ---                           ---

     [Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in
paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7).]

               Yes                            No  X
                   ---                           ---

     [Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained
in this Form, the registrant 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.

                                                               



                                  SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                                 Smith & Nephew plc
                                                 (Registrant)


Date: November 4, 2005
                                                 By:   /s/ Paul Chambers
                                                       -----------------
                                                 Paul Chambers
                                                 Company Secretary






                   NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES


1. Name of company

Smith & Nephew plc

2. Name of shareholder having a major interest

The Capital Group Companies, Inc.

3. Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of holding
of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial interest
or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that person's
spouse or children under the age of 18

Non-beneficial

4. Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
shares held by each of them

Capital Guardian Trust Company:

State Street Nominees Ltd   82,550
Bank Of New York Nominees Ltd   1,314,743
Northern Trust  71,500
Chase Manhattan Bank Australia Ltd   8,500
Chase Nominees Ltd   6,776,313
BT Globenet Nominees Ltd   137,300
Midland Bank plc   194,900
Cede & Co 119,000
Deutsche Bank Mannheim 4,500
Bankers Trust 9,200
Nortrust Nominees 1,633,140
Royal Bank of Scotland   12,000
MSS Nominees Ltd   31,700
State Street Bank & Trust Co  26,500
RBSTB Nominees Ltd    9,700
Deutsche Bank AG 3,600
HSBC Bank plc  600
ROY Nominees Ltd   6,600
Mellon Nominees (UK) Ltd   388,200
HSBC 5,200
JP Morgan Chase Bank   657,333

Capital International Ltd:

State Street Nominees Ltd   38,700
Bank of New York Nominees  909,265
Northern Trust   376,344
Chase Nominees Ltd   658,145
Midland Bank plc   22,900
Bankers Trust   48,100
Citibank London 130,200
Morgan Guaranty  77,500
Nortrust Nominees  803,826
Royal Bank of Scotland 96,400
State Street Bank & Trust Co   69,000
National Westminster Bank 10,800
Deutsche Bank AG   281,041
HSBC Bank plc  265,565
Mellon Bank NA 50,200
KAS UK 8,900
Bank One London  31,300

Capital International SA:

Bank of New York Nominees 6,100
Chase Nominees Ltd   83,900
Midland Bank plc 2,400
National Westminster Bank 10,200
Lloyds Bank 5,200
HSBC Bank plc 38,400

Capital Research and Management Company:
State Street Nominees Ltd   9,729,000
Chase Nominees Ltd   41,910,620
State Street Bank & Trust Co 118,200

Capital International Inc

Nortrust Nominees 23,000
HSBC Bank plc 11,500

5. Number of shares / amount of stock acquired

Not disclosed

6. Percentage of issued class

Not disclosed

7. Number of shares / amount of stock disposed

...............................................................

8. Percentage of issued class

...............................................................

9. Class of security

Ordinary shares of 12 2/9p

10. Date of transaction

Not known

11. Date company informed

04.11.05

12. Total holding following this notification

67,309,785

13. Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

7.17%

14. Any additional information

...............................................................

15. Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Phil Higgins - Assistant Company Secretary
020 7960 2228

16. Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for making
this notification

Phil Higgins - Assistant Company Secretary

Date of notification

04.11.05

The FSA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the accuracy of this
document or material and does not accept any liability for error or omission.
The FSA is not liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages
for loss of business or loss of profits) arising in contract, tort or otherwise
from the use of or inability to use this document, or any material contained in
it, or from any action or decision taken as a result of using this document or
any such material.