Questions about jobs involving Biomedical Science (Laboratories and Medicine)

I'm doing my A-levels but I'm looking to do a course in Biomedical Science because I prefer the research aspect of medicine, however depending on how I feel after the course I might consider taking Medicine or I might just get into a lab-based job. I heard that there is some patient contact in NHS based jobs and I don't mind that at all. I just have a few questions regarding Biomedical Science jobs in and out of the NHS:

1) How difficult was it to find a lab job outside of the NHS?

2) How does one go about getting a lab job outside of the NHS?

3) For people who took a work/industrial placement year, how was your experience?

4) What is life like working in a hospital/company lab?

5) Is Biomedical Science a secure job?

6) For those who took a post-graduate degree into medicine, how did you go about finding funding for the degree?

7) Can you become a clinical scientist with a biomedical science degree?

8) In terms of pay, if you can become a clinical scientist after being a biomedical scientist, is it better to stay as a biomedical scientist and work towards becoming a consultant or is it better to become a clinical scientist?

Feel free to share any advice too ^^