What do people know about clinical psychology in the UK?

I’m 25 years old, and throughout my 20s so far I’ve been thinking about changing my career and going down a different path. Something that has always interested me is psychology, but if I were to pursue this, I would want to become a clinical psychologist, not just a therapist.

I’m aware that this route is likely to be expensive and involve a lot of training, so I was hoping someone could help by giving me a more in-depth and realistic view of the actual pathway, and whether it’s genuinely possible for me.

From what I understand, the first step is completing a three-year bachelor’s degree in psychology. After this, however, there seems to be some confusion about whether a master’s degree is required or not. I’ve also seen information online suggesting that after completing a degree, it’s possible to enrol in something called a clinical psychology apprenticeship. Is this correct? And if so, would this then allow progression to a doctorate?

I’ve also read that the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology can be funded by the NHS. Is this accurate?

This seems like a long pathway, but if it’s possible, it’s something I would seriously consider pursuing. As a side note, are there any other psychology subfields that might be worth considering as alternatives to becoming a clinical psychologist?

If anyone could provide as much detail as possible, I would really appreciate it.