Teaching Public Health Networks (TPHNs) are nine new entities, established by the Department of Health in late 2006 in the English regions. They are intended to encourage and facilitate enhanced public health teaching, with a view to improving public health capacity and capability across a wide range of disciplines. These include far more than those traditionally viewed as part of the public health workforce. This paper considers, from the viewpoint of the London Teaching Public Health Network, progress so far and the potential involvement of specialized health promotion professionals, both in terms of influencing and benefiting from the activities of the TPHNs.