I first applied for FluCamp on 16th February, had 1st screening on 4th April, had 2nd screening on 7th May, had repeat screening on 4th July, clinical trial on 3-18 August and follow-up appointment on 30th August. From application to getting on a trial it took 6 months.

I was offered a place on a 16-day clinical trial (non-asthmatic) that was at Bank Street in Canary Wharf. The pay for this trial was £4240. Once the trial is over you have to return to for a follow-up appointment within 2 weeks after end of the trial, this is booked before the trial starts. Payment was £2000 after the 16-day quarantine (Took 3 working days), £2240 after the follow-up appointment (Took 2 working days). If the trial ends early or you decide to leave, payment is £250 per day.

To those applying

From others reviews that I have read, many have mentioned that a diagnosis of depression or anxiety have seen them excluded from taking part in a trial. My thoughts are that if you currently have a prescription for antidepressants or anxiolytics then it is likely that you’ll be excluded. If you have a repeated history of depression or anxiety in the past few years then it could also be difficult to be get through the screening process. After all, you’ll be isolated alone in a small room for 2+ weeks and they want mentally resilient people that are likely to complete the full trial without it having an adverse effect on their mental health. I was diagnosed with depression and prescribed antidepressants and anxiolytics around 10 years ago, so it is not a definitive barrier. It all depends on your medical history and the discretion of the medical staff.

Lung function is a large part of the examination, so if you have poor cardiovascular health then passing these tests may be difficult. Other reasons for being excluded include being a heavy smoker, heavy drinker, generally unfit, family history of serious medical conditions, allergies, having an episode of anaphylaxis, heart issues, being overweight/obese and having a serious health condition. If you have hay fever and currently take antihistamines then you might not be able to participate during hay fever season as your symptoms may mimic that of the virus. Regardless of all this, it is worth applying, at least for the health check and as an interesting experience.

The rooms at the Bank Street in Canary Wharf site were typical en-suite hospital rooms with a single bed, study/work desk, TV, PS4 and coffee table. I was fortunate enough to be given a room with a view, but many people were given a room with no window. I think a room with no window would have made participation much more difficult. I also imagine that rooms with no window can be quite cold. The rooms are well soundproofed as I didn’t have much from neighbouring rooms, most noise came from the corridor.

Overall

The main question is ‘Would I do this again?’. I did think it would be challenging to spend 16 days inside a small room with nobody to really talk to, but it actually wasn’t, I actually enjoyed it, but I am a self-confessed misanthrope. I treated the experience as something like a detox period. It was good to have 2+ weeks with no caffeine, no carbonated drinks and a healthy whole food diet. It helped greatly that I didn’t have any symptoms of being unwell and that I had a quiet room with an amazing view of Canary Wharf. Additionally, my room was at the end of the corridor away from the main admin area of the staff, which probably meant it was quieter and had the lights turned off earlier. I do believe I was very lucky in this trial. So, to answer the question, yes, I would consider doing this again (Note that you need to wait 3 months after your follow-up appointment). However, my answer may be different if I had a room with no window in a busy area and been unwell from the infection.

Obviously, financial reimbursement is the main incentive, but being involved in a clinical trial may help the approval of new drugs that one day could reduce suffering or even save a life. I do think you’ll have a sense of accomplishment once you finish a trial, it’s not something most people would or could do.

Anyway, I hope this review has helped inform you about whether you want to apply and your chances of being accepted. It is definitely an interesting experience and worth it. Feel free to use my referral code (BBSEHHRR) if you found my review helpful or whether it has helped inform your decision.

i found out about this on tiktok
i registered and they got back to me within a few months
i went to my first appointments in manchester as it was closer to me and i got paid for each of those appointments within 3 days. i was then chosen to take part in a study where i had to quarantine for 11 days in london. the room was good and you even got a ps5 in it to use during your stay. snacks 24/7 which you could ask for whenever. the staff was amazing. the communication before and after the study was great. it was a great experience and i would definitely take part again.

From the start I will be honest anyone, including myself might be abit nervous or sceptical, but being able to be part of such an amazing experience is a feeling that I left the quarantine with, from start to finish my questions were answered, I felt safe at all times, the staff have a positive attitude and do excellent work and are incredible friendly, quarantine was a breeze I had a ps5, tv, unlimited snacks and beverages, I would recommend this to everyone, go make a difference and be part of something that helps people not just in the uk but all around the world, thank you flucamp

Just recently had a 2 week stay for a clinical trial and everything went really well. Everyone was professional and courteous, especially Adeola, the staff member who took my bloods. She was absolutely fantastic and very professional.

Honestly loved almost all of my quarantine experience, it felt like an escape at times. The view was amazing, staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was hearty. Would absolutely recommend and personally I would definitely do it again!

Very organised process and also friendly staff, who are there to help with anything. I felt very comfortable throughout all appointments and the quarantine phase itself!

Nice little break from life with the excuse to be lazy. I was lucky (as I've been told by staff) to have the corner room, offering a beautiful view of Tower Bridge lit up at night on one side, and a chance to people-watch in the park from the other. Although from the 25th floor, the people looked more like ants!

Being over 40, my main reason for starting this was for a health check screening. To my surprise, I passed, though only half of us from the last health check did; the rest were referred to specialists for various issues (two of the guys next to me had heart conditions they didn't know about).

The food was good, massive portions with plenty of snacks. The staff were friendly, and the tests were fine. I was lucky not to get sick and managed to work remotely, which made the time fly by. However, I caught a glimpse of a room without windows on my way out, and it looked pretty grim. I had a stellar experience, but I can’t imagine it being the same without a view.

Going through the whole process helped me cut back on my 'social' smoking and drinking, which is a plus. I’d definitely do it again.

I stayed the full course of 11 nights with fluCamp in their new Canary wharf facilities and it was very peaceful, smart and organised. You quickly get used to the programme and routines of each day. The tests last a very short amount of time -several times a day - but for the most part you're left to your own devises to work, relax, watch tv and play the PS5. The view I had was glorious, 25th floor in the centre of Canary Wharf - but some rooms haven't got windows so it's the luck of the draw. I enjoyed my little holiday away from the madness of real life.
The food is nice, with daily selections made through the app that they tell you about. They also come around with snacks and drinks everyday. The staff were very friendly, calm and very knowledgeable throughout, from the very first screening till my final visit. I am already preplanning my next visit in a few months time !

Hello everyone.
I’m very happy with my experience in Flu camp (Canary Wharf). I stayed there 11 nights in July 2024 and can’t recommend enough this place.
I had a beautiful view from 25th floor and nice, clean, new room with tv, massive windows and new clean shower and toilet. Food was great, breakfast lunch and dinner plus snacks, juices, fruits etc, so you’re never hungry. TV is a smart tv so you can watch Netflix, YouTube etc.
I was lucky not getting ill at all so for me it was just like a holiday, laying watching movies all day and sleeping or watching London from 25th floor. Staff was very friendly and professional, didn’t bother you unless it’s needed. I had a solid 8 hours sleep without distribution from 10:30pm till 6:30am. Also I was able to work from my room online. Payments were sent regularly without delay straight to my account.
Overall my experience was great with no complaints. Highly recommend this company and definitely will comeback again for another trial!
Thank you.

Think VERY carefully before you start jumping through hoops for them…
you will be expected to make multiple visits to London (£100 a visit travelling expenses gets you half a train journey from Manchester)

You will be expected to give up,
Alcohol
Caffeine
Exercise
Fizzy drinks
Cigs/vapes
Vitamins (?)
Have a bmi under 35 (their measure not the more generous nhs measure)

You will need to do 2 appointments in Manchester,

Then 3 appointments in London

Then, when you are admitted to quarantine you have to do a full day of the same assessments again and if you have any issues like I did (an underlying cold which I knew nothing about) you are ejected from the premises asap

The team in London will look down their nose at you and treat you with suspicion.

It sounds great £3000 for simple visits however, read the above again and be prepared for all this over a near 3 month window of non stop pestering and feeling like you have all your freedoms eroded…part of me is glad I got ejected. Mostly I regret signing up in the first place as I ended up losing money with all the travelling from Manchester to London ( 4 return trips in all) and I just got miserable from all the cuts I had to make from my diet (if you drink tea or coffee regularly I do not envy you the nausea and razor sharp headaches you will get from cutting caffeine out).

The facility room I stayed in today was averagely clean, I walked around in my bare feet and they were fluffy from dust…the phlebotomists do not change their gloves when moving from one bed to the next when taking clients blood.

I was one of the few unfortunate participants who didn't get a window! This was a lot more taxing than expected, however they did make up for it with good air conditioning, and the staff were friendly and attentive. The food was most stimulating enjoyable part of the duration, especially the different lunches and dinners every day(with exception to the pizza, that was horrible). Spending two weeks relaxing, watching TV, gaming, and catching up on sleep while earning money. I'd do it again, though it's more mentally challenging in the summer especially after knowing id need to go through 2 weeks without sunlight. If I'm unlucky

I thought the rooms were nice, air con & you get looked after, the staff were good & very pleasant. You’re seen to several times a day for temperature checks, nasal swabs & vitals. I liked the majority of the food, the breakfast options were the best. I felt it’s worth taking 2 weeks to chill, watch tv, have gaming time & catch up on sleep to make a lump sum of money & to donate DNA for a good cause. I’d do it again in the future but doing it in summertime probably makes it that but harder mentally.

Great facilities, room with a beautiful city view was great.
Great snacks!
Wish the quality of food was better but still found something to eat.. jacket potato’s and sandwiches were best option.

Friendly staff, everything is well explained and an easy way to get money while helping others.

Pros : Really friendly staff (nurses and admissions teams), convenient food ordering service with lots of choice, money was sorted quickly and conveniently, and most of the tests and procedures were carried out without any hassle.

Cons: No window (I don't understand how someone could give 5 stars with the same complaint, this was driving me insane, especially because other people on the same trial had windows, I felt this was really unfair), I was only confirmed that I was going to flucamp about ten days before my admission date (this meant booking transport was really expensive as I was coming from the other side of the country).

Overall, I would definitely recommend if you don't mind being by yourself and can keep yourself entertained.

Although the experience by it's nature was definitely neither a breeze nor a holiday (except the first week only!), I'm giving 5-stars because of how great the nurses and doctors are. Obviously a clinical trial cannot be so very easy to get through or the whole country will be queuing up to take part in it, but that's not the fault of anyone, it is just the nature of the thing itself, and the staff at FluCamp are really so genuinely awesome, that they do take the edge of some off the distressing aspects of the trial (i.e. the bloods). I cannot think of one area where the FluCamp team need to improve in. They should just keep up the good work.

Everyone was kind to me, and most of the nurses show real concern and sympathy, and always did their best to help out and make things as comfortable as possible. I have to give special thanks to Shaheedah for her exceptional kindness to me and the concern she showed, and to Durga for her spontaneous sweetness, and to Diana for her smiling, pleasant manner. There is another lady who made me peppermint tea at night when I had some strange sensations in my tummy, I want to really say thank you to you all, and to the other female nurses especially, you're all truly amazing. Thank you sincerely.

Anna and the kitchen team are also genuinely kind and accommodating. I will not describe myself as fussy about my meals, but I do have minimalist tendencies, which the kitchen team always patiently ad cheerfully accommodated, such as when I request for nothing to be added to my porridge or on top of my jacket potato, or no dressing at all for my salad. I prefer things plain, for the most part. I am impressed by how much they really respect and guard our food choices, because once I ordered a jacket potato and the app apparently sent something with chicken instead, and they called to find out if I really ordered chicken since I am vegetarian. That pleased me much. Also, whenever I don't order breakfast the kind nurses always are concerned, they don't just ignore it or pass it by, they will come round and ask if there was anything I want, and they would send me some apples/bananas. Much appreciated!

If you are thinking of taking part, I will encourage you without further ado, unless you have small veins, because there will be dozens of blood-work in the second week and it can get distressing, but I made it through with patience, and so you can. I that had never had a needle on me before, and am distressed by even the sight of blood in a clinical container. Just look away completely, don't let yourself see anything until it is over and you can pat your poor arm and shed a tear over it for comfort if need be.

Anyway, I am pleased that the team are interested to hear of our experience and keen to identify areas for improvement. Betty R called yesterday and was genuinely interested in hearing about my suggestions and overall experience. I do appreciate that a lot, and she was easy to talk to and a good listener. It matters a lot who follows up on these things because it all depends on how they come across on the phone, and I felt completely at my ease with Betty.

For prospective volunteers, the only thing to worry about is the second week's blood-work. Food is good quality, everyone is awesome, rooms are comfortable.

Friendly staff, good food and a chance to reset, also giving something back, doing your bit for future generations. Overall a great experience to be part of, would highly recommend!

Relaxing 2 weeks doing clinical trial. Money was sorted quickly on completion.
Pros-Staff were good
-Food was decent, not great but decent and good portions.
-money settled quick (4,200)
Cons- I didnt have a window (new facility however does).

Overall fantastic experience great to have 2 weeks to rest and ill definitely be looking to do it again.

Amazing experience at Whitechapel facility. Friendly staff, good communications from everyone, food good, room nice! Looking forward to returning in the future! Well worth sitting in a room by yourself for 2 weeks getting the mooolarrrr