diff --git a/pywr-core/src/metric.rs b/pywr-core/src/metric.rs
index d6c4fdc0..ea5a12d6 100644
--- a/pywr-core/src/metric.rs
+++ b/pywr-core/src/metric.rs
@@ -171,6 +171,7 @@ pub enum MetricF64 {
     NodeInFlow(NodeIndex),
     NodeOutFlow(NodeIndex),
     NodeMaxFlow(NodeIndex),
+    NodeDeficit(NodeIndex),
     NodeVolume(NodeIndex),
     NodeProportionalVolume(NodeIndex),
     NodeMaxVolume(NodeIndex),
@@ -222,6 +223,11 @@ impl MetricF64 {
                 .ok_or(MetricF64Error::NodeIndexNotFound(*idx))?
                 .get_max_flow(network, state)
                 .map_err(|e| MetricF64Error::NodeError(Box::new(e)))?),
+            MetricF64::NodeDeficit(idx) => {
+                let actual_flow = MetricF64::NodeInFlow(*idx).get_value(network, state)?;
+                let max_flow = MetricF64::NodeInFlow(*idx).get_value(network, state)?;
+                Ok((max_flow - actual_flow).max(0.0))
+            }
             MetricF64::NodeVolume(idx) => Ok(state.get_network_state().get_node_volume(idx)?),
             MetricF64::NodeProportionalVolume(idx) => {
                 Ok(state.get_network_state().get_node_proportional_volume(idx)?)
diff --git a/pywr-core/src/parameters/deficit.rs b/pywr-core/src/parameters/deficit.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index 2a850462..00000000
--- a/pywr-core/src/parameters/deficit.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,58 +0,0 @@
-use crate::metric::MetricF64;
-use crate::network::Network;
-use crate::parameters::{
-    GeneralParameter, Parameter, ParameterCalculationError, ParameterMeta, ParameterName, ParameterState,
-};
-use crate::scenario::ScenarioIndex;
-use crate::state::State;
-use crate::timestep::Timestep;
-
-/// A parameter representing the deficit between a flow metric and a max metric.
-///
-/// Typically used to represent the deficit between actual inflow and requested max flow at
-/// a node.
-pub struct DeficitParameter {
-    meta: ParameterMeta,
-    flow: MetricF64,
-    max_flow: MetricF64,
-}
-
-impl DeficitParameter {
-    pub fn new(name: ParameterName, flow: MetricF64, max_flow: MetricF64) -> Self {
-        Self {
-            meta: ParameterMeta::new(name),
-            flow,
-            max_flow,
-        }
-    }
-}
-
-impl Parameter for DeficitParameter {
-    fn meta(&self) -> &ParameterMeta {
-        &self.meta
-    }
-}
-
-impl GeneralParameter<f64> for DeficitParameter {
-    fn after(
-        &self,
-        _timestep: &Timestep,
-        _scenario_index: &ScenarioIndex,
-        model: &Network,
-        state: &State,
-        _internal_state: &mut Option<Box<dyn ParameterState>>,
-    ) -> Result<Option<f64>, ParameterCalculationError> {
-        let actual_flow = self.flow.get_value(model, state)?;
-        let max_flow = self.max_flow.get_value(model, state)?;
-
-        let deficit = (max_flow - actual_flow).max(0.0);
-        Ok(Some(deficit))
-    }
-
-    fn as_parameter(&self) -> &dyn Parameter
-    where
-        Self: Sized,
-    {
-        self
-    }
-}
diff --git a/pywr-core/src/parameters/mod.rs b/pywr-core/src/parameters/mod.rs
index 7504a11d..51eec49e 100644
--- a/pywr-core/src/parameters/mod.rs
+++ b/pywr-core/src/parameters/mod.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ mod asymmetric;
 mod constant;
 mod constant_scenario;
 mod control_curves;
-mod deficit;
 mod delay;
 mod difference;
 mod discount_factor;
@@ -52,7 +51,6 @@ pub use control_curves::{
     ApportionParameter, ControlCurveIndexParameter, ControlCurveInterpolatedParameter, ControlCurveParameter,
     PiecewiseInterpolatedParameter, VolumeBetweenControlCurvesParameter,
 };
-pub use deficit::DeficitParameter;
 pub use delay::DelayParameter;
 pub use difference::DifferenceParameter;
 pub use discount_factor::DiscountFactorParameter;
diff --git a/pywr-schema/src/nodes/core.rs b/pywr-schema/src/nodes/core.rs
index f78308c5..9a910dbb 100644
--- a/pywr-schema/src/nodes/core.rs
+++ b/pywr-schema/src/nodes/core.rs
@@ -10,11 +10,7 @@ use crate::parameters::Parameter;
 use crate::v1::{ConversionData, TryFromV1, try_convert_initial_storage, try_convert_node_attr, try_convert_node_meta};
 use crate::{mermaid, node_attribute_subset_enum, node_component_subset_enum};
 #[cfg(feature = "core")]
-use pywr_core::{
-    metric::MetricF64,
-    node::StorageInitialVolume as CoreStorageInitialVolume,
-    parameters::{DeficitParameter, ParameterName},
-};
+use pywr_core::{metric::MetricF64, node::StorageInitialVolume as CoreStorageInitialVolume};
 use pywr_schema_macros::PywrVisitAll;
 use pywr_schema_macros::skip_serializing_none;
 use pywr_v1_schema::nodes::{
@@ -851,25 +847,7 @@ impl OutputNode {
 
         let metric = match attr {
             OutputNodeAttribute::Inflow => MetricF64::NodeInFlow(idx),
-            OutputNodeAttribute::Deficit => {
-                let deficit_parameter_name = ParameterName::new("deficit", Some(self.meta.name.as_str()));
-
-                // Create a parameter for the deficit metric if it does not already exist
-                let deficit_parameter_idx = match network.get_parameter_index_by_name(&deficit_parameter_name) {
-                    Some(p_idx) => p_idx,
-                    None => {
-                        let deficit_parameter = DeficitParameter::new(
-                            deficit_parameter_name,
-                            MetricF64::NodeInFlow(idx),
-                            MetricF64::NodeMaxFlow(idx),
-                        );
-
-                        network.add_parameter(Box::new(deficit_parameter))?
-                    }
-                };
-
-                deficit_parameter_idx.into_metric_f64_after()
-            }
+            OutputNodeAttribute::Deficit => MetricF64::NodeDeficit(idx),
         };
 
         Ok(metric)