The topical application of antimicrobial agents is becoming a key target area for the treatment of chronic infected wounds. This thesis evaluates the potential of novel semi-solid PVA-borate hydrogels to perform as a delivery vehicle for a range of therapeutic antimicrobial agents. The viscoelastic properties of PVA-borate gels allow formulations to flow into and make intimate contact with all surfaces of the wound, maximising drug exposure. The high water content of PVA-borate hydrogels also provides a moist environment, which promotes normal wound healing processes. The topical antibiotics, mupirocin calcium (1.5% w/w), sodium fusidate (1.5% w/w) and gentamicin sulphate (1.0% w/w), were formulated into PV A-borate hydrogels to produce clear homogenous formulations. D-mannitol was utilised as a modulating excipient in the formulation of mupirocin calcium and gentamicin sulphate gels. Silver nanoparticles offer an effective broad spectrum of activity at a lower cost to alternative antimicrobials. This thesis outlines the synthesis of silver nanoparticles in the range of 7 -10 nm and their encapsulation within the cross-linked PVA-borate network. The biguanide agents, polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride and chlorhexidine digluconate, have been incorporated into PV A-borate hydro gels at a concentration of 0.1 % w/w. In vitro drug release studies showed that PVA-borate hydrogels could be used as an effective delivery vehicle for biguanide agents. This thesis demonstrates that all the antimicrobial-loaded PVA-borate hydrogel formulations developed exhibit prominent bacterial inhibitory effects against a range of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in vitro. Novel experimental techniques were developed to demonstrate antimicrobial loaded PVA-borate hydrogels activity against microorganisms in both the planktonic and biofilm phenotype. Microbiological analysis has illustrated their potential for the treatment of infected ulcerated lesions.