On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, an ingestible nanobot called ‘Nanoboy’, which I found wrapped up under the tree. It used to be that an apple a day kept the doctor away, but now it will be Nanoboy who keeps me out of the GP’s office (or off his iPhone screen, if you’re a fan of telehealth).

This little wonder is so intelligent, it will alert me on my phone if my organs need help or any cells are going mad. Instead of having to go for my annual check-up, I will be pinged the moment something starts to go awry. No more colonoscopies, ‘just to check’, when in the end everything turns out to be fine. Next time I’ll only call my doctor – and use my medical savings – when Nanoboy tells me we need to take a closer look.

By deploying it in my body, I will be treating illness proactively and become aware of root causes before it’s too little, too late. With Nanoboy, it’s also much harder for medical staff to take patients for a ride, while stuffing their pockets. Experts estimate that over-testing and over-treatment are responsible for a substantial increase in annual global healthcare costs. It’s the gift of necessary, timely intervention, and optimum health, as long as the cybersecurity is kept intact.

Apparently, by next Christmas, Nanoboy will be able to release first-round medication as well – diagnosis and basic treatment in one, exactly where it’s needed. Santa’s elves must be working around the clock to get that into production!