Abstract: An electrically powered, rail-mounted patient lift includes a carriage for displacement along an overhead rail and a housing. The housing includes an electric motor having an output shaft and two belts suspended from the housing for the mounting of a patient support such as a sling or the like. Two belt-receiving rollers, each having an outer cylindrical surface for receiving a respective lifting belt, co-operate with the output shaft of the electrical motor for rotating in opposite directions at the same rotational speed driven by the output shaft, thereby collecting the belts when rotating the output shaft in one direction and discharging the belts when rotating the output shaft in the opposite direction. The housing further includes a power supply unit for the delivery of electrical power to the electrical motor from a battery power supply or alternatively, a mains supply.