Patients today present with complex wounds which can cover large surface areas, have undermining, be a mixture of tissue types, be highly exuding and show signs of infection. The goals for the treatment of each individual vary. This increases the demands on dressings, as they need to be absorbent, assist in the debridement process, reduce the bacterial burden and prevent maceration. Alginate dressings are now well-established, being used for their conformability, absorbency and ability to provide a moist wound healing environment (Thomas, 2000), however, alginates are also used extensively in other fields such as dentistry as valuable haemostatic agents (Kaneda et al, 2008).